In 2025, the assumption that public university education in Nigeria is largely free no longer holds up to scrutiny. While the Federal Government continues to maintain that tuition remains free in its institutions, students and parents now navigate a landscape where consolidated fees, service charges, and institutional levies have effectively transformed Nigeria’s public universities into costly academic spaces.
Across both federal and state universities, education financing has undergone a silent but structural shift. The tuition hikes introduced between late 2023 and mid-2025 have not only altered admission patterns and student demographics, but also raised serious questions about access, equity, and the future of public education in the country.
This article explores, in exacting detail, what students now pay in 20 top federal universities and 20 leading state-owned institutions as of June 2025—framed within the economic, institutional, and political dynamics that fuel this rapid inflation in university fees.
The Hidden Cost of “Tuition-Free” Federal Universities
Though federal universities are statutorily tuition-free, by mid-2025, students across Nigeria’s leading federally-owned institutions now pay between ₦95,000 and ₦230,000 annually in “mandatory charges.”
These include registration, laboratory access, ICT, library services, ID card processing, energy costs, and examination fees. Students are also now required to pay non-refundable development levies in several institutions.
For instance, at the University of Abuja, fresh undergraduates in science-related courses now pay ₦227,500, an almost 180% increase from fees paid in 2022.
The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA)
The Federal University of Technology Akure charges students in engineering fields upwards of ₦236,000, with breakdowns showing inflated costs for workshop maintenance, power, and internet access.
UNILAG
At University of Lagos (UNILAG), while returning students pay around ₦120,750, new students across faculties face charges ranging between ₦170,000 and ₦190,250, a stark jump from the pre-2023 fees of around ₦25,000.
UNIBEN
University of Benin (UNIBEN) follows suit, with fees ranging from ₦180,000 to ₦195,000, depending on the faculty.
OAU
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, despite internal resistance and protests, implemented an increase that now places fees for new students in arts and humanities at ₦151,000, and those in sciences at ₦163,200.
UNN
Meanwhile, in University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), fees remain relatively low, around ₦110,000, though students in health-related departments report payments as high as ₦175,000.
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU Zaria) has maintained a modest increase, with new charges now averaging ₦95,000 to ₦110,000.
UNILORIN
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) students pay between ₦98,350 and ₦120,000, depending on their course of study.
UNIPORT
In University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), tuition-linked charges for health sciences have risen sharply to ₦214,000, with other faculties averaging around ₦175,000.
UNIJOS
Students at University of Jos (UNIJOS) now face consolidated fees in the region of ₦200,000, a controversial change implemented after lengthy negotiations with student unions.
Other federal universities following this trend include:
Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) – ₦170,000 to ₦210,000
Federal University Lokoja – ₦140,000 (up from ₦50,000)
Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUSOK) – ₦125,000 for core programs, rising to ₦160,000 in medical fields
University of Calabar (UNICAL) – ₦150,000 and rising
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) – ₦135,000 to ₦165,000
Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) – ₦165,000 average
Federal University Wukari – ₦130,000 to ₦145,000
Federal University Dutse – ₦137,000
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI) – ₦178,000
Each institution justifies these hikes as responses to economic realities, citing inadequate federal subventions, the collapse of electricity subsidies, and the need to self-fund essential services.
State Universities: Uneven Terrain, Steep Costs
While federal universities maintain the appearance of subsidized education, state-owned universities are far more transparent—and aggressive—about their fee structures.
Unlike their federal counterparts, these institutions are not bound by any central “tuition-free” directive and can impose wide-ranging charges based on local government priorities, state finances, and political ideology.
By 2025, state university tuition ranges from ₦40,000 for indigenes in some Northern states to ₦350,000 for non-indigenes in professional faculties in the South. The discrepancy reflects deep regional and administrative inequalities in Nigeria’s education landscape.
LASU
At Lagos State University (LASU), students face a unique dual model: indigenes pay ₦25,000 to ₦58,000, while non-indigenes pay ₦100,000 to ₦150,000. Although LASU had once reduced fees to attract more enrollees, 2024 saw a reversal, citing infrastructural development needs.
EKSU
Ekiti State University (EKSU) introduced sweeping changes in late 2023, with new fee structures ranging between ₦130,000 and ₦150,000, even in non-technical departments.
DELSU
Delta State University (DELSU) now charges between ₦140,000 and ₦165,000, depending on course complexity.
UNIOSUN
In Osun State University (UNIOSUN), the average fee stands at ₦130,000, but students in Medicine, Law, and Engineering report figures near ₦160,000.
IMSU
Imo State University (IMSU) charges ₦120,000 to ₦140,000, with additional levies for ICT and departmental associations.
ABSU
For Abia State University (ABSU), base fees of ₦56,000 often misrepresent actual costs—professional programs carry surcharges that push total payments well above ₦100,000.
KWASU
Kwara State University (KWASU) is among the most expensive in the North-Central region, now charging up to ₦200,000.
Other notable institutions:
Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) – ₦68,000 for indigenes; ₦95,000 for others
Taraba State University (TSU) – ₦25,000 (indigenes); ₦45,000 (non-indigenes)
Benue State University (BSU) – ₦55,000–₦120,000
Gombe State University (GSU) – ₦22,500 (indigenes); ₦355,000 (non-indigenes in Law)
Borno State University (BOSU) – ₦35,000–₦65,000
Adamawa State University (ADSU) – ₦40,000 for basic programs
Bauchi State University (BASUG) – ₦45,000–₦90,000
Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST) – ₦42,000
Kaduna State University (KASU) – ₦90,000–₦150,000 post-reform
Rivers State University (RSU) – ₦170,000
Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) – ₦180,000
Ebonyi State University (EBSU) – ₦105,000–₦140,000
Many of these universities also charge additional “acceptance fees” (₦30,000–₦50,000), matriculation gown fees, medical screening charges, and ID processing costs—all due before registration. Some demand payment before accommodation is approved, which delays resumption and disrupts academic calendars.
Root Causes of the 2025 Hikes
This wave of fee increases is driven by a matrix of systemic failures:
1. Fiscal Austerity: Federal and state budgets for education remain stagnant despite population growth. Institutions are told to generate “Internally Generated Revenue,” with students bearing the brunt.
2. Inflation and Cost of Utilities: In 2025, Nigeria’s inflation rate averages 30.4%. With erratic power supply and no diesel subsidy, institutions spend more to power classrooms and hostels.
3. Collapse of Cost-Sharing Models: With subsidy removal and declining oil earnings, state governments are withdrawing subventions to universities, forcing fees upward.
4. Failure of the Student Loan Scheme (NELFUND): Though launched in 2024 to aid disadvantaged students, uptake has been low due to poor awareness, rigid conditions, and bureaucratic bottlenecks. Universities cannot depend on it for financial cushioning.
5. Autonomy Without Accountability: While universities have the autonomy to determine fees, many operate with little regulatory oversight, leaving students at the mercy of unilateral VC decisions
Beyond the Money: Human Cost and Societal Impact
The psychological toll is visible: a sharp drop in first-year registration, increased deferrals, and a spike in student crowdfunding campaigns. For students from low-income families, especially in rural and semi-urban communities, higher education is increasingly becoming inaccessible.
In Delta, a final-year Pharmacy student at DELSU reportedly withdrew to become a full-time ride-hailing driver. In Nasarawa, dozens of students skipped exams in April 2025 due to unpaid fees. Across the country, parents take loans, liquidate assets, and rely on church collections or alumni fundraising to meet rising university costs.
CLOSING REFLECTION: Is the Future Still Free?
As of 2025, the average cost of attending a federal university in Nigeria is between ₦120,000 and ₦230,000 per year. In state universities, this range stretches further—from ₦40,000 to ₦350,000, depending on region, course, and indigeneship status.
The government insists tuition remains free—but for the families scraping together ₦180,000 in ICT charges, hostel upkeep, and energy levies, the semantics are meaningless. Nigerian public universities now cost more than they ever have—and students are paying the price in lost dreams, deferred studies, and mounting debt.
If nothing changes, the phrase “education is the key” may soon come with a price tag too high for the average Nigerian household to afford.
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