Management of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) in Nnewi has pledged to engage students and the institution’s governing board following protests over a sharp increase in tuition fees at the School of Nursing.
Students of the institution staged a protest on Tuesday, rejecting the hike in tuition from ₦90,000 to ₦580,000. The students gathered at the school gate carrying placards to express their dissatisfaction, describing the increase as excessive.
The fee adjustment reportedly followed an internal memo issued on January 23 by O. I. Ezejiofor, which announced the upward review and cited the need to upgrade facilities and maintain standards at the institution.
Some of the protesting students said the new fees were unaffordable and also raised concerns about the rising cost of accommodation around the school.
Responding to the development, the Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Joseph Ugonna, said the management would meet with the board and student representatives to address the concerns and restore calm within the institution.
Ugonna explained that the decision to review the tuition was taken by the newly inaugurated board, which proposed the ₦580,000 figure to the management. He added that although the proposal had been approved, there was still room for further discussion and possible adjustments.
According to him, the increment was aimed at improving the quality of training and maintaining educational standards, noting that even with the new rate, the institution’s fees remain among the lowest for nursing schools in the South East region of Nigeria.
He also clarified that the institution does not manage student hostels, explaining that most accommodations around the school are privately owned and arranged directly between students and landlords.
Meanwhile, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Chinyere Onwuka, said the leadership of the students’ union had officially distanced itself from the protest.
Onwuka noted that the revised fee structure includes services such as feeding and transportation for clinical postings to Enugu. She also maintained that tuition at the college remains relatively affordable compared to other nursing schools in the South East, some of which charge as much as ₦800,000 for returning students without additional services.
