Kogi State Government Defends Tuition Fee Review at PAAU

The Kogi State Government has defended the recent review of tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions, asserting it is part of a unified policy to harmonize charges across all state universities. Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, Vice Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), and Hon. Wemi Jones, Commissioner for Education, addressed the Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Education regarding a petition about fee increases at PAAU and Kogi State Polytechnic.

Hon. Jones explained that fee adjustments are not made in isolation and are guided by a committee to consider various interests, aligning with the administration's free education policy. He noted that a directive for the fee review was issued to PAAU in 2024 but was not fully implemented until now.

Prof. Usman emphasized that the university's fee increase was a government directive, not an independent decision. He also pointed out that Kogi State's fees remain lower than those in neighboring states and encouraged students to utilize the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, with 4,032 students approved for the scheme.