Parents of students at Oriwu Model College in Ikorodu, Lagos, staged a peaceful protest on Sunday against the sudden hike in boarding fees, demanding an immediate reversal.
The protest followed an announcement by the Lagos State government, increasing the boarding fees from N35,000 to N100,000.
Kazeem Oladuni, chairman of the Parent Forum Association (PFA) at Oriwu College, appealed to the Lagos State Ministry of Education to reconsider the fee hike to enable students to resume their academic activities.
“Our children were supposed to resume on Sept. 9; then we received a memo that one week has been added, which expired today, Sept. 15. To our surprise, another memo came out on Sept. 13, indicating that the boarding fees have been increased from N35,000 to N100,000,” Oladuni said.
He further noted that the Parent Forum had met with the Lagos State Coordination of PFA and concluded that the fees were “outrageous for any parent at this time of hardship in the country.”
Speaking on behalf of parents in the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Adedoyin Badmus lamented the government’s actions, saying, “Education was supposed to be free.” Badmus added that the increase made it difficult for average Nigerians to provide their children with quality education.
Another concerned parent, Mary Enaayi, made a passionate appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging him to consider the financial struggles of many parents, particularly petty traders. “With this outrageous amount, the careers of those wards will be shattered because their parents cannot afford to pay the N100,000. Some have two or three children in the school, which means they have to withdraw due to the sudden increment,” she stated.
The protesting parents carried placards with messages such as “No reduction, No resumption,” “We need free education,” and “N35,000 to N100,000 is too outrageous.”
They urged the Lagos State government to take swift action and reverse the decision to ensure that quality education remains accessible to all.
