The Lagos State House of Assembly has directed the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Mosunmola Sangodara, to convene a meeting with all relevant stakeholders regarding the recent hike in boarding fees for the state’s model colleges.
FEE INCREASE SPARKS PROTESTS
This directive follows a meeting between Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and protesting parents at the Assembly gate in Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday. The boarding fees for the 2024/2025 session have increased significantly from N35,000 to N100,000, effective September 15, 2024.
During the plenary session, Obasa noted that the intervention was necessary due to the ongoing protests from parents voicing their concerns. He urged parents to remain calm, assuring them that the Assembly would address the issue.
COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENTS AND PARENT CONCERNS
Sangodara informed the House that the committee had already engaged with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders. Shabi Adekola (Lagos Mainland II) mentioned that it was agreed during a prior meeting that parents would continue paying the old fee of N35,000 pending further review.
Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa Constituency II) emphasized that the fee increase was primarily related to rising students’ feeding costs. He called on the government to explore measures to alleviate the financial burden on parents.
Bonu Solomon (Badagry I) added that parents have raised concerns about students who cannot afford the new fees being denied food purchases on school premises, complicating the situation further.
NEXT STEPS
The House plans to await the report from the education committee before deciding on further actions regarding the fee increase.