PG courses at FUT Minna reasonably priced – VC

Contrary to a motion in the House of Representatives, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna), Professor Bala Abdullahi says in this interview that the university authority is careful not to inconvenience students in the review of fees and charges. Excerpt:

A member of the House of Representatives in a motion questioned the decision of the Senate of the university to increase fees and charges for fresh and returning Post Graduate (PG) students. What informed the review in the first place?

Let me first say that the PG programmes are not subsidised by the federal government but are rather self-funded. We don’t get support from the government in terms of these programmes except probably through payment of salaries to academic staff we use for the programme and existing structure and equipment which are essentially meant for the undergraduate programmes. But the Post Graduate School is unique in the sense that it engages in more research and there are also certain equipment needed for higher level of research. But beyond that, you have to pay the supervisors for the postgraduate students and there are also different types of seminars that they have to undertake.

We have to pay for all these and the examinations. We have to make provision for chemicals used for practicals in the laboratories, studio and even on the farms so you have to factor all these into operational expenses. For instance, if you are using a tractor on the farm, you must use diesel and all these are not paid for by the government; the university senate has to make provision for them.

Over the years, we have had representations from the PG School to say that we are not getting sufficient fund for the programmes. We asked them to look into the matter; they set up their committee at that level and came up with a proposal. The review did not just come out of nowhere, they considered the existing fees structures of all other federal universities in the country, both first, second, third and even specialised and conventional universities. They came up with their proposal and we debated every component for two days.

After careful consideration and considering the economic reality of the country at the moment, we asked them to go back, rework and come up with a clean copy. When they returned with what is supposed to be the final copy we asked them to review it again downward by 40 per cent. So, we were surprised that a member of the House of Representatives could present a motion condemning the review.

The member concerned is from your catchment area, that is, Niger State and must have reached out for explanation on why the fees and charges were reviewed upward.

I wish he did that before going public with the impression that we are deliberately doing what has become necessary in the circumstance we find ourselves. I was driving to the office that fateful day when I started receiving messages apparently drawing my attention to what was going on at the House of Representatives. This action no doubt, will have serious implications and connotations especially coming from the National Assembly.

To me, this is an unnecessary intrusion into what is purely an internal affair of the university because it’s only the University Senate that is empowered by law to decide on academic matters. The National Assembly has power to make law and if they are not happy with existing legislation, they are at liberty to change same through appropriate means and not to dictate to universities what to do. The PG programmes are not mandatory for us to run if we are going to do so in a way that threatens the quality of our graduates. If it comes to that we might as well stop altogether.

Even the running cost for the undergraduate is grossly inadequate and we have to also use that to support the PG activities. If you are inviting an external examiner for PG examination for instance, you have to provide accommodation, transportation and pay him honorarium. Even if you are using internal examiners and supervisors you must pay honorarium and the government is not responsible for all these.

What we are saying is that we have been subsidising the programmes using resources from the undergraduate programmes. By doing so, we are also denying the undergraduates certain rights which are already paid for.

In any case, the fees we are charging are not even commensurate with what is on ground but we are also concerned about the situation of things in the country and that is why we decided to charge 40 per cent of what the committee earlier proposed. If we don’t do that the postgraduate students will not have the right to complain that we are not doing certain things. Look at electricity which is supposed to be a utility enjoyed by everybody; we pay for it from the undergraduate registration. So, the PG students have to also contribute to the running cost.

One of the concerns raised by the lawmaker was that your fees are the most expensive. How would you react to that?

It is wrong to say that our fees are the most expensive or our institution is among the most expensive. If the member had done his research very well, he will know that our fees are reasonable. My son is in one of the federal universities for his masters and I pay about N170, 000 a year.

We are also parents and our children are doing their PG study in universities across the country and we know how much we pay. When you compare what is obtainable in private primary and secondary schools, how much are those complaining paying as fees for their children in those schools?

How much did the committee propose which was reviewed as the fees?

The committee proposed about N300,000 but we insisted it must not be above N200,000 thresholds so the charges were pegged at between N160, 000 to N190,000 depending on the programme.

How has the review affected registration by applicants into the university?

Nothing has changed as a result of the review; we are still battling with the increasing influx of students wanting to take our programmes. We have problem admitting 40 per cent of the applicants because of the large number.

What is responsible for this high influx of PG students to FUT Minna?

It’s largely due to the quality we have maintained over the years. The university is well known for producing quality students and in addition to that, the timely completion of our programmes is also one of the key factors for the rising interest.

The institution has zero tolerance for students spending extra years before graduation. We know in some universities, master’s students spend years but here we insist on 18 and maximum of 36 months for masters. Where students are not measuring up, we ask them to go because there is no sense in lingering around. If you cannot make it within the minimum, you must work hard to do so within the maximum time set and that it why they are coming.