Governor Yahaya Explains 120% Tuition Increase at Gombe State University

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, has justified the recent 120% rise in tuition fees at Gombe State University (GSU), emphasizing that the increase is essential for the institution’s growth.

While speaking at the inauguration of governing councils for higher education institutions, state-owned enterprises, and pilgrimage boards at the Government House in Gombe, Yahaya explained that the fee adjustment aims to enhance the quality of education.

He appealed to parents and guardians to back the university, drawing comparisons between GSU’s fees and those of nearby states such as Borno, Adamawa, and Bauchi. He stressed GSU’s vital role in supporting federal educational initiatives and highlighted the high costs associated with tertiary education.

He stated, “We emphasise more basic education and secondary school education. Look at Gombe State University as supporting what the Federal Government is doing because the responsibility of the state and local governments is to give education, healthcare, and social welfare at the basics.”

“Tertiary education is very expensive; thank God we have private universities. We shouldn’t consider any investment in education to be a waste. Let’s see how to join hands with federal, state, and local governments to ensure our people get education from basic through secondary and up to the tertiary level,” he added.

The governor explained that the tuition hike was partly driven by requests from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions seeking better funding. Despite increasing GSU’s allocation, he noted that the funds still fall short of the university’s needs and encouraged the institution to seek other income sources to uphold its standards.

Yahaya urged students, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, to use the federal government’s student loan programme, describing it as a “win-win” opportunity to secure access to education.

“I have heard the complaints of students about the recent increase in school fees, but it didn’t stop the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other unions from going on strike because it wanted more funding to GSU, and for that, we had to double the allocation,” he explained. “As of today, none of the universities within the Northeast subregion has as much as what we are giving to Gombe State University.”

He pointed out that the university should explore internal revenue options to maintain competitive standards. “There are other windows; that doesn’t mean the university should not look within and see how much it can raise to keep the standard so that our standards can be the best in order to compete with whoever. We must do the needful; nothing was done to stop anybody from getting tertiary education,” Yahaya said.

Referring to the federal government’s efforts, he highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s student loan initiative. “The Federal Government of Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu, has introduced the students’ loan; it’s a win-win; if you apply and pay the university, the school can develop. So, see how to access the loan and get any support from anywhere,” he advised.

He further compared fees, noting, “The Federal Government, despite being the owner of all tertiary institutions except private and state-owned universities, could not help; even today what the Federal University of Kashere charges is by far what Gombe State University is charging, and the federal government is the main source.”

Representing the newly inaugurated boards, Rep. Aishatu Jibrin, chairperson of the College of Legal Studies Nafada, pledged dedication to advancing the goals of the institutions.