EKSU VC Defends Tuition Fees, Says University Charges Among Lowest Despite Rising Education Costs

The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Professor Babatola Ayodele, has defended the institution’s tuition fees, insisting that the university still maintains one of the lowest fee structures among Nigerian universities despite the rising cost of education nationwide.

Speaking during a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti, the EKSU helmsman explained that the actual cost of training students across various programmes is significantly higher than what students currently pay, noting that government subsidies and institutional support help cushion the financial burden on students and their families.

According to Ayodele, internal cost assessments revealed that it costs approximately ₦6 million to train a medical student at the university, while programmes such as law and neuroscience require about ₦3 million per student. Education-related programmes, he added, cost around ₦800,000 per academic session.

Despite these figures, the vice-chancellor stressed that EKSU students pay only a fraction of the actual cost of their education, warning that universities may face sustainability challenges if funding gaps continue to widen without periodic financial adjustments.

“Something must be done, otherwise the system will finally collapse,” Ayodele cautioned, highlighting the financial strain confronting public universities amid inflation and rising operational costs.

He further compared EKSU’s fees with those of private universities, noting that medical programmes in private institutions often cost between ₦7 million and ₦8 million per session. Similarly, courses such as nursing, law and other science-based programmes, which may cost between ₦5 million and ₦6 million in some private universities, are offered at EKSU for roughly ₦500,000 to ₦600,000.

Ayodele also reassured students and parents that the university has not increased tuition fees for the 2025/2026 academic session, explaining that the institution has maintained the rates approved for the previous academic year.

The vice-chancellor’s remarks come amid growing national conversations about the rising cost of tertiary education in Nigeria and the need to balance affordability for students with the financial sustainability of public universities.