NAUTH Management to Meet Students Over Tuition Hike After Protest

The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital has pledged to engage with students and members of its governing board following protests by students of the institution’s School of Nursing over a recent increase in tuition fees.

Students on Tuesday staged a protest at the institution’s gate in Nnewi, rejecting what they described as a sharp increase in their school fees from ₦90,000 to ₦580,000.

The students carried placards during the demonstration, expressing dissatisfaction with the new fee structure and raising concerns about the rising cost of accommodation around the school.

The fee adjustment was reportedly communicated through an internal memo dated January 23 and signed by O. I. Ezejiofor, Chairman of the Board of the NAUTH College of Nursing. The memo indicated that the review was necessary to upgrade facilities and maintain academic standards at the institution.

Reacting to the protest, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Joseph Ugonna, said the management would meet with the board and representatives of the students’ union to address the concerns raised.

Ugonna said he was away when the protest occurred but assured that discussions would take place upon his return to the institution.

He explained that the decision to increase the tuition followed the inauguration of a new board which proposed a review of the fees to improve the quality of training and facilities available to students.

According to him, the board proposed a fee of ₦580,000 which was approved by the management, but he added that the institution remains open to reviewing the decision in consultation with stakeholders.

Ugonna also maintained that despite the increase, the school’s fees remain among the most affordable for nursing institutions in the South East region.

He noted that the previous fee of ₦90,000 had been in place for some time and that the adjustment was aimed at sustaining the institution’s academic standards and services.

On the issue of accommodation costs raised by the protesting students, the Chief Medical Director explained that most hostels around the institution are privately owned and managed independently of the hospital.

Meanwhile, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Chinyere Onwuka, said the leadership of the students’ union had distanced itself from the protest.

According to her, the union had written to the management clarifying that it was not involved in organising the demonstration.

Onwuka also defended the fee adjustment, describing it as moderate and noting that the amount covers services such as feeding and transportation for students during their clinical postings to Enugu.

She added that a comparison with other nursing institutions in the South East shows that the fees charged by the NAUTH School of Nursing remain relatively low, noting that some schools charge as much as ₦800,000 in tuition for returning students, excluding feeding.