Nigeria ASUU President Forecasts 50% Student Dropout Rate in 2 Years Due to Tuition Hikes

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, has warned of a potential crisis in the Nigerian education sector. He expressed concern that if the Federal Government does not intervene to stop the continuous increase in tuition fees at universities, up to 40 to 50 percent of students may drop out within the next two years due to their inability to afford the rising costs.

During an interview on Channels TV, Prof. Osodeke emphasized that the heavy financial burden imposed on students could lead to a mass exodus from educational institutions, creating a national problem. He argued that unemployed dropouts could become vulnerable to recruitment by individuals seeking to destabilize the country.

To address this issue, Osodeke urged the government to allocate a more substantial portion of the budget to education, suggesting a minimum allocation of 15 percent. He criticized the 3.8 percent allocation to education in the last budget and proposed that increased funding could alleviate the financial strain on parents and students.

Regarding the government's student loan policy, Osodeke expressed skepticism about its effectiveness and called for a comprehensive review. He suggested rebranding it as a grant to make it more accessible, as the current criteria, including parental income limits, could exclude a significant portion of students.