The management of the School of Nursing at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, has promised to engage the governing board and student representatives following complaints over a recent increase in tuition fees.
The assurance came after students of the institution staged a protest on Tuesday, condemning what they described as a sharp rise in school fees from N90,000 to N580,000.
During the protest, the students marched around the school premises carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, including “We no go gree, reduce the school fees,” to express their dissatisfaction with the new charges.
The fee increase was said to have followed an internal memo issued on January 23 by the Chairman of the Board and Chief Medical Advisory Committee of the NAUTH College of Nursing, O.I. Ezejiofor, announcing the upward review of tuition to support improvements in the institution.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Prof. Joseph Ugboaja, confirmed that he had been briefed about the protest and assured that the management would meet with relevant stakeholders to resolve the issue.
According to him, discussions would be held with members of the governing board that proposed the new tuition and with leaders of the student union to address the concerns raised.
Ugboaja explained that the new board decided to review the tuition in order to enhance the quality of services provided to students, noting that although the N580,000 fee was approved, there was still room for further review and possible adjustment.
He added that the institution had maintained relatively low tuition fees over the years and that the recent review was aimed at sustaining academic standards.
Ugboaja also addressed complaints about hostel costs, explaining that the school does not own the hostels where most students live.
He said the hostels around the institution are privately owned and that accommodation arrangements are handled directly between students and the property owners.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Chinyere Onwuka, stated that the leadership of the students’ union had distanced itself from the protest.
According to her, the union wrote to the management to clarify that it was not responsible for organising the demonstration.
Onwuka maintained that the revised fees were still moderate compared to those of other nursing schools in the South-East, adding that the charges also cover feeding and transportation for students during clinical postings, including trips to Enugu.
She further noted that some nursing institutions in the region charge as much as N800,000 for returning students, even without providing feeding.
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