The authorities of the Kaduna State University (KASU) has suspended academic programmes for undergraduate students following growing tension over the recent increase in tuition fees by the Kaduna state government.
In a statement on Tuesday, Samuel Manshop, registrar of the university, said academic activities for undergraduate students have been “suspended indefinitely.”
He said only postgraduate programmes, College of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences and Part-Time programmes are to continue with their activities.
The statement said, “The Management of Kaduna State University wishes to notify Staff, Students and the general public that academic activities for undergraduate students have been suspended indefinitely.
“Postgraduate programmes, College of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences and Part-Time programmes are to continue with their activities.
Staff are also expected to report to work as usual. Management will communicate any development”.
There has been uneasy calm at the university following the increase in tuition fees.
A planned protest by the students was averted on Monday, when the university authorities locked the gates to prevent the students from accessing the campus.
The Kaduna state government had at a recent meeting with the representatives of the students, declared that there was no going back on the new tuition fee.
At the meeting, the students’ representatives had complained that the 500% increase in the tuition fee was too high and had requested that the increase should be reduced to 50% as many of the students may will not be able to afford it.
However, the deputy governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe who presided over the meeting, had told the students that the increase was in the best interest of the institution.
She had told students that the increase was to enable the university to be top a ranking institution.
Balarabe had said further that the state government was spending about N5 billion on the university as the N26,000 being paid by students was not enough to pay lecturers for three months.
The deputy governor had said though the increase was painful, but it was necessary as it is the only way that the institution can stay afloat.
On April 27, 2021, the state government announced increase in tuition fees in all its tertiary institutions.
In KASU, the old tuition fee for indigenes of Kaduna state was between N24,000 and N26,000 depending on the course of study, while non-indigenes pay between N31,000 and N36,000 depending on course of study.
The new tuition fee is from N100,000 to N400,000 depending on course of study.
