Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has weighed in on the controversies surrounding the increment in school fees of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
OsunDailyNG recalls that the management of UNILAG had increased fees for undergraduate students in the institution.
This was contained in a statement dated July 20, 2023, by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, UNILAG branch following a meeting with the top management staff.
The students of the institution previously paid N19,000 but the management has fixed new fees at N190,250 for students studying medicine while for courses that require laboratory and studio, students are to pay N140,250.
Reacting to the increment, Omokri opined that despite the changes in fees, Nigeria’s education still remains cheap when compared to other countries.
He insisted that the country is not as terrible as the citizenry makes it out to be.
He urged those who were not satisfied with the changes to opt for illiteracy.
He wrote via Twitter, “Please fact-check me.
“Average tuition fees at Nigerian public universities = ₦50,000 or $65.
“Average tuition fees at Ghanaian public universities = GHS17,145 or $1503.
“Average tuition fees at British public universities = £9,250 or $11,900.
“Average tuition fees at European public universities = €10,000 or $11,128.
“Average tuition fees at American public universities = $10,400.
“Yet, you are here saying ‘Nigeria is finished’, ‘Nigeria is useless’ because of an increase of tuition fees from ₦19,000 to ₦190,250 at one university?
“Ghana has a minimum wage of GHS446 or $40 per month. Yet, Ghanaians pay twenty-five times what we pay in tuition. Do Ghanaians earn twenty-five times what Nigerians earn in minimum wage? Is fuel cheaper in Ghana than in Nigeria? I was in Ghana two months ago. Believe me when I say that you would fare better economically in Nigeria than in Ghana. Is Nigeria as wealthy as the UK, the US, and the EU? Nigeria is not such a bad country. If you think the cost of education is too high, then try the cost of illiteracy!”
