Kogi State officials defend tuition fee increases at PAAU

The Kogi State Government has defended recent tuition fee increases at Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU) in Anyigba, stating the review complies with a government directive to harmonize charges across all state-owned universities.

During a hearing before the Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Commissioner for Education Wemi Jones and PAAU Vice Chancellor Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman explained that the implementation of the fee structure follows a 2024 directive. Prof. Usman noted that the university management did not independently initiate the hike but was required to operate within established government policies. He added that PAAU’s fees remain relatively lower than those in neighboring states like Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, and Osun for professional courses.

The fee hikes have caused significant financial strain for local families. Reports indicate that rising costs at PAAU and Federal University Lokoja are forcing students to delay their education due to an inability to meet payment deadlines. Some families have expressed that the cost of higher education is becoming an inaccessible privilege, with academic futures increasingly dependent on seasonal income from farming.