Federal universities have been warned against demanding tuition fees from students nationwide.

Specifically, David Adejo, the permanent secretary at the federal education ministry, stated this in Abuja at a public hearing by the House of Representatives ad committee on student loans.

Mr Adejo said the recent increase in tuition fees by federal universities in the country was unfortunate.

“What they collect is charges to cover the cost of accommodation, ICT, power, among others. It is the governing council of the universities that has the power to approve such charges for them,” the government official told the parliament, “The only university that increased charges after the signing of the student loans act is the University of Lagos.”

Mr Adejo added, “They came to the ministry with a proposal to increase their charges because all governing councils were dissolved, and we gave them approval,” adding that “Immediately that was done, there was a resolution from the House stopping the increase in fees, and the president also gave a directive stopping any increase in fees, and that is where it is, even though several others have brought their proposal.”

The official also mentioned that the charges collected by the universities were used to pay for some services, including electricity bills and faulted claims that signing the student loan bill was responsible for the hike in the university charges.