NAUTH College Of Nursing Suspends Tuition Hike Following Student Protests
The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) College of Nursing has halted the implementation of the newly proposed tuition fees following protests by students over the steep increase. Students had raised concerns about the hike, describing it as “exploitative.” On Tuesday, several nursing students marched to the college’s main gate to protest the increase, which would have raised tuition from N90,000 to N580,000—a 544 percent jump. The fee revision had been announced in an internal memo dated January 23 by O. I. Ezejiofor, CMAC and chairman of the NAUTH College of Nursing board, citing the need to upgrade facilities and improve the institution. Addressing the matter, Joseph Ugboaja, chief medical director of NAUTH, said management would engage with the hospital board, which approved the new fees, to resolve the issue. He noted that the college had maintained low tuition for years and that even the revised fees remained among the most affordable in the south-east. In a Thursday briefing on Channels Television, Ugboaja confirmed that the tuition increase had been suspended. “The decision followed meetings with student leaders, school management, and the governing board after the protest,” he said. “Students were concerned that they were not involved in the final decision-making process. While their opinions were sought during consultations, they felt excluded when the final decision was made.” Ugboaja emphasized that the protest was largely driven by student concerns over participation, not by student leaders themselves. He added that a committee would now re-engage students to ensure all parties reach an agreement on a fair path forward. “So, we have suspended the implementation, and the committee will now consult with students to agree on the way forward,” he said.
