The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend recent increases in tuition fees and other mandatory charges by public tertiary institutions across Nigeria, citing concerns over access to higher education and the financial burden on students.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Ifeoluwa Ehindero, who raised concerns that some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education had increased their fees by more than 100 per cent without adequate consultation or sufficient consideration of the economic difficulties facing Nigerian families.

The House also mandated its committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the scale of the increases and determine whether they were justified.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the fee adjustments could undermine the objectives of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established by the Federal Government to provide interest-free loans to eligible students pursuing tertiary education.

According to the House, sudden or excessive increases in institutional charges could widen disparities in access to education financing, particularly if loan arrangements do not adequately reflect revised fees.

It warned that rising costs could force students from low-income households to abandon their studies, trigger unrest on campuses and weaken public confidence in the government's commitment to affordable education.

The lawmakers cited Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which sets out the responsibility of the state to promote equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.

To ease the financial pressure on institutions, the House urged the Federal Government to increase funding allocations to public tertiary institutions, reducing their reliance on revenue generated through student charges.

It further called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage institutional managements on suspending the increases and reviewing their fee structures in line with prevailing economic conditions.

The proposed intervention comes amid continuing debate over the cost of higher education, following recent fee adjustments at some federal universities.

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for instance, suspended the implementation of revised charges earlier in October to allow wider consultations with students and other stakeholders after concerns were raised about the increases.

The House's resolution seeks to balance the financial needs of public institutions with the need to preserve access to higher education, particularly for students whose families are struggling with rising living costs.

The outcome of the committees' investigation is expected to provide further information on the extent of the increases and the reasons behind them.