Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has weighed in on the ongoing debate about the cost of education in the country, arguing that school fees abroad are significantly higher than those charged by Nigerian institutions.
Speaking during a panel session on Thursday, Olawande urged young Nigerians to resist the pull of online trends and conduct independent research before forming opinions, particularly on government policies.
The minister was responding to concerns raised by youth participants regarding the high cost of living and access to education under the current administration.
Olawande pointed to President Bola Tinubu’s launch of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a sign of the government’s commitment to securing the future of young Nigerians.
“For the first time, a president is saying no student should drop out because they can’t afford tuition,” Olawande said. “That shows someone is thinking beyond today—thinking about how education links to jobs, and how jobs link back to repaying the loan.”
He added that most of the countries Nigerians seek to migrate to operate similar student loan systems, but with far more expensive tuition fees. “Many people who want to ‘japa’ don’t realise they’ll pay even more overseas,” he remarked.
