The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria has backed the federal government’s decision to close schools charging tuition fees in foreign currencies.

The association described the practice as exploitative, abnormal, and unpatriotic, stressing that it must not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Adeolu Ogunbanjo, chairman of NAPTAN’s board of trustees, stated on Saturday that such demands are unacceptable in any Nigerian institution. He said no school should request fees in dollars or other foreign denominations, nor should any parent agree to such exploitative terms.

According to him, the practice undermines Nigeria’s economy and contradicts the values education should uphold.

“Education should teach patriotism, not drain our foreign reserves,” he said.

Mr Ogunbanjo questioned the rationale behind schools insisting on foreign currency, noting that no other country allows such a system for foreign residents.

“Ghana is very close to us, but it will not operate like that. Can a Nigerian pay school fees in naira in the UK or the United States?” he said.

He urged the government to sanction schools engaged in the practice to deter others and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s education sector.

“In fact, any school or university doing that is unpatriotic and should be shut down until the policy is reversed,” he stated.

The NAPTAN chairman reaffirmed the association’s full support for the minister, insisting that demanding fees in foreign currencies damages the economy.

He maintained that such practices “must be stopped immediately to restore sanity and fairness in the education system”.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, had earlier declared the government’s intention to close schools charging tuition fees in foreign currencies.

Mr Alake made the call at the Nigeria Gold Day Celebration, held alongside the 10th edition of Nigeria’s Mining Week in Abuja on Wednesday.

He described the practice as one of the major leakages weakening Nigeria’s economy and called for decisive action to end it.

“If you look at the foreign currency that goes into some of these schools, it is humongous,” the minister stated.

He said he would propose to the Federal Executive Council that all such schools be closed to stop further economic drain.

Mr Alake stressed that the practice remains one of the major loopholes undermining national growth and economic stability.

(NAN)