Amina Ado, a medical student at Bayero University in Kano, is facing a financial crisis due to the new registration fee. Out of 170 students, 50 from less privileged homes are unable to afford the 200 percent increase in fees. Before the new pay regime, MBBS and BDS students were paying N50,000, including registration and departmental fees. The fee has now risen to N220,000.
The university management has announced a further extension of the payment window to September 1, but it remains uncertain whether the majority of indebted parents will be able to meet up. Vice Chancellor Professor Adamu Abbas Sagir has stated that the management has no intention of deliberately making things difficult for students. He also highlighted that BUK has the lowest fee compared to all higher education institutions in Northern Nigeria.
Sagir revealed that the university has faced difficulties meeting its basic necessities amidst huge responsibilities. He disclosed the remittance of N11 million in monthly overhead from the federal government but stressed that the final fee announced is the minimum needed to run the system. Anything below this standard would fall short of the standard and affect the academic and administrative systems.
Sagir challenged society to compare the amount charged at BUK with other universities, stating that BUK is charging the least. He also mentioned that the federal government only pays N11 million monthly as overhead, while BUK spends over N35 million on diesel for two weeks.
This post is credited to guardian
