The Financial Problems Students Face In Federal Universities In Nigeria

---

---

Have you ever been in a situation where you can feel impending financial problems getting ready to smack you in the face and shout: "It's me! Hi, I'm the problem. It's me!"? Just as Taylor Swift sang in her single ANTI HERO.

The problems haven't even started to hit you and yet you're already feeling it and wondering if you'll be strong enough to overcome it when it finally arrives, you then begin to look for ways to prepare yourself for the impending doom life is about to throw at you.

I'm experiencing that currently.

It's a new semester and the VC of my university decided to welcome the students with numerous increases in school fees here and there. Students have been okay with the prices of things so far in the past year and one would think that it would continue to be so until one graduates but Federal Universities also find new ways to amaze students.

Honestly, thinking about how ridiculously high school fees and other fees have been raised doesn't bring joy to me at all. It makes me wish things were really different and if I had the power to reduce the fees, I would.

Students are complaining about the increase in school fees but the complaints of students are falling on deaf ears which makes complaining useless. Rumors are flying around about how students are cutting down on the courses they registered so as to help them cope with the high cost of fees. It's very brave of them, especially if they're not so concerned about passing out with flying colors. Skipping courses always have a ripple effect that would show up during the final year.

Coupled with the state of the country's economy, I feel that this increase is unfair to students. Federal Universities are supposed to ease the financial strain on our bank accounts but unfortunately, they're steadily extorting money from students for God knows what.

As a result, fear has gripped me because I know that despite everything I have to survive and how exactly I survive is a question to ponder on. A lot of students are already swearing and making oaths that they wouldn't pay a dime unless the school reduces some of the fees to a reasonable amount that students can afford and it seems like the students' cries were finally heard, to an extent.

Sometime ago, a memo was passed announcing the reduction of transport fares inside and around the school by 20%. It's not really a lot but I feel it's a start to something bigger and better in the future.

My only problem with this reduction will be the issue of change. The reduction means the amount of bus fares or amount paid for school shuttle wouldn't be a round figure which will definitely be some type of problem in the future.

One would always have to be mindful of having to carry enough small change around so as to make payment easier. I'm not a fan of having my purse full of smaller denominations of money and that might be a problem for me because most drivers don't like to give change and would prefer to cause a fuss than help get change.

I don't really know how students feel about this newest update and I am yet to hear a collective agreement concerning the issue, I hope it's all for the best.

My focus remains on how I am going to pull through this financial crisis the university wants to drown her students in. And I really, really hope most of the fees get reduced along the line. It'd be a huge relief for me and my parents.

I was thinking about my finances when I decided to take a picture of some of the cash I have with me.

---

---

The picture above represents just how much value my country's currency has and it's not much. As a result, everything goes high up in the air and stays up there, never to come down for another decade.

Increase of school fees every year by federal universities should be checked by the government because it's getting out of hand. Students need to focus on their studies alone and not have to divide their attention between finances and academics.

It can be choking.

The only message this picture has for me is a warning.

"Beware, hard times are coming"

I am well aware now and i am definitely working towards coming out ontop.

This university will not be the end of the road for me. 😑

• Images used are mine...

---

---

---