By Amos Aar
STUDENTS of Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, have called on the university management to reconsider its proposed increment of school fees, describing it as an additional burden amid Nigeria’s prevailing economic hardship.
The university management is reportedly planning to increase tuition fees by as much as 80%, a move that has triggered strong resistance among the student body.
Sources from the students’ union leadership, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that following a recent dialogue with management, the proposed increment was reduced to 50%. However, students insist that even the adjusted figure remains unacceptable.
“We are already struggling to cope with the current fees structure. Increasing it further, whether by 50 or 80%, is unfair given the economic realities we are facing,” one student said.
Although the fees vary across faculties, the maximum amount students currently pay per semester is thirty-five thousand naira (N35,000), according to a medical student.
When contacted, Mr. Nelson Alyebo, the Dean of Student Affairs, neither confirmed nor denied the planned increment.
He explained that the matter is beyond his office. “I don’t have the authority of the management to speak to the press on that issue because it is a policy matter,” Alyebo said.
In addition to concerns over school fees, students are also grappling with the fallout of the recently concluded computer-based General Studies (GST) examinations.
Many described the transition from the traditional pen-and-paper method to a digital format as chaotic and poorly managed.
Students alleged that the university has only about 100 functional computers to serve a large population, leading to long delays, overcrowding, and in some cases, stampedes.
The exams, which began on February 27, 2025, were characterised by technical glitches, ranging from faulty computers to persistent network failures, leaving many unable to complete their tests.
“We had just 25 minutes to answer 50 questions, but many of us could not even log in on time because there were not enough computers.
“Some students had to stand under the sun for hours, and even when you get in, the system could crash or the network could fail before you finish,” a student narrated.
Others expressed concern over the lack of prior training on the digital examination platform, leading to heightened anxiety and fears of mass carryovers.
“Many of us are not computer-literate. If your system fails, you are asked to leave and that could automatically mean a carryover,” another student lamented.
Frustrated by the twin challenges, students are urging the university’s management to cancel the computer-based GST exams until adequate infrastructure and training are provided.
Simultaneously, they are pleading to the management to reconsider the planned fee hike, stressing that it would further compound their struggles.
