 Alright, weaving clackerts and bandishing leaf stems, students took on to the streets, congregating at key locations such as the main gate, the university academic building, and the directorate of student affairs building at High Shore Lowering University in Oregon State. The unified voice echoes their strong opposition to the proposed school fees increase of course as returning students at the institution who were anticipating fees of 65,000 Naira have been met with this staggering increase with new fees at a hefty 180,000 Naira. Fresh students on the other hand are not spared either because they would face an initial payment of 240,000 Naira in excluding additional fees. Now this substantial hike in tuition costs has ignited outrage among the student body led by the student union government as the SUG who have organized protests to voice their disapproval. They contend that the fee increase will further exacerbate the economic hardship already imposed by the federal government's recent removal of fuel subsidies. So tonight we're asking, right, or this one that they are bickering about increment from 65 to 180,000 and their new fees of 240,000 Naira, right, can 65,000 Naira give quality higher education? That is the question. Now please, let's hear what you have to say. Remember, you can join the conversation, send us an SMS or WhatsApp today, 1-803-463. Naira? I add up. No, I mean, sometimes it's very funny. I'm on the page. I'm on the page. I'm on the page. I'm on the page for my child. Exactly. Exactly. And that's the point. A lot of times we like to sentimentalize things and we are not very practical. Personally, I mean, there are some conversations I don't like to have because people don't look at the reality of things. Yes, you may say that, okay, 65,000 for education and all that. But who bears the cost of infrastructure, resources and all that? Who bears the cost? The federal government? I mean, you are at university, you are not a taxpayer. Number one. You are not a taxpayer. Yes, you are a citizen, but I mean. Your parents are? Our parents are paying tax. Okay. Let's say let's go to the nitty-gritty, you'll be amazed. But their parents are, a lot of them, their parents are not paying tax. So, yes, the government is obligated to do certain things. But we must also understand that education is not free. It's not, I mean, university is a luxury. There are so many people, well, I mean, world-popular, they will get after I didn't go to the drop house. Steve Jobs? Yeah, Steve. I mean, most of all these IT, they are drop house. It's not, I mean, if you don't have a university education, it does not mean you will not be successful. So, let's not put the burden where it is not supposed to succeed. Really? Okay. So, yes, really, people actually, I take less for my university education. Wait, let me continue. I take less for my university. However, this is where I fault them, right? I went to a federal university. Now, for a private university to be taking 65,000, I mean, it's not. It's a state university. Oh, Sean Henry is it? Yeah, Sean Henry College of Education. Oh, I always thought it was. No, no, no, it's a state university. My apologies, everyone. But, yeah, for state university. How much is your school fees? How about your school fees? Do I look like a baby boomer? No, but to the last time, no. I'm not telling you. Now, how much? How much? $10,500. Did you not get good education? No, my school fees were $28,000. Let me tell you something. $28,000 for ads? Wait, is that okay? Did you not receive good education? That is what I said. You did not, sir. Okay, sorry. You made me finish your point. So I paid $28,000 for ad students and I think science students were paying like $35,000. The education was enough to give me exposure needed as per where I was coming from. But eventually when I met the brothers group, like the bigger world, I realized that there was a lot. I didn't know. So I had to take my time to deliberately educate myself. But at least it gave me that basic footsteps to at least be able to relate with the world on a certain level before I could step up. Now, in this period right now, I would say $65,000 really isn't enough to give you a typical education because of the new additions that come to the education right now. You know, you want more practicals because of our time. There is no practical. Just talk story. You have to take it, you do not have to take it for the coffee, it's crammed and you understand. But right now the world is becoming too globalized that the competition is not waiting for you. So we want you as you're coming off of college or off of school, you're ready to face the world. So I don't think that $65,000 is enough to get or employ the caliber of professors or there about that would teach you and also the equipment that is needed for the practicals. However, I can understand why they are revolting because schools have added money but salaries are not increasing. You know, and most some of these people are being funded by their parents. So that's that. So let me explain that. How do I start it that will not sound insensitive? The quality of education that we have in this country today, literally. And I think everywhere in the world it's a direct correlation of how much you put in. So I have people that do not even live in Nigeria where they even have quality public education for children in their nurseries and primaries, right? But they are also thinking, you know what? I don't want my children to go to public schools anymore. I want to pay those very expensive fees for private schools. And the reason they would do that is because the difference is like day and night, it's clear. So when I see people protest like this, it just, it helps me to further cement the fact why we have, you know, we continue to have certain challenges that we have in the country. Even the 180,000 that was increased to is not enough to give a quality education, not to talk of, it's not, not to talk of the 65,000 era. And that is why the burden for institutions, educational institutions is really, it's a lot of things. First of all, the institutions must become very creative, you understand, where they engage in, because they are funds available for universities that want to go into research and all of those things. They are funding, global funding just waiting for them. So a lot of universities must bring out their genius to go and learn all these things that would cause, that would help them generate some good income. That's on one hand. Most universities are broad, that you can see that there is quality education, right? It's because they have a very, very powerful alumni structure. And even the people, people like Dan Gote, I'll tell you last, took on a university that he gave them a million, for 750 people. Those are the kinds of people that sustains some of the educational institutions that we want to abroad. Do you understand what I'm saying? So when you talk about education, quality education is a direct link on money. So the fact that we have a very poor quality education in Nigeria, right, tells us that it's because we lack the funding for it. You asked me a question. Was I well educated? I would tell you a capital no. I'll say no because first of all, I'm a hands-on person. There's a reason I studied physics. I don't like English. I can't sit down and read lengthy things. It's not in my college. Guess who ended up speaking a lot of English? My sister. Tell me about it. These days when I see, so I have a project that they will send long briefs like this. I'll call my PS. Read it for me. Let me hear. I think sometimes it helps when I'm listening because I learn different ways. I don't just like to read long, long. It's only the page that I know in the end there's going to be money attached. That's one I will read with power. So imagine me studying physics and the whole four years of studying a practical course like physics. I was never, never in a lab building anything. I never, even a light bulb. I didn't create a light bulb. For somebody that loved how, I love to use my hands to do things like experiment. It was very, very depressing for me. Not even a light bulb. At 300 level, they told us go and buy breadboard. I can never forget that day. We buy breadboard, we buy our lab coat, we buy, we bought all the, what's it called, what's the word now, all those fuses and all of that that we're going to create something like a motherboard or something like that. That project never saw the light of day. And yet we wrote exams. We passed, we crammed and passed. So education in Nigeria today, it's a very sorry state. And the only way we can begin to really take education seriously is pumping in money. And that's how you see that even for, and it's not just money, it's a combination. Because even for private universities right now, only very few universities are investing in that line. You mentioned something around the world is evolving. I mean, we never see, when we were in school, they were still teaching analog. Me were then, people have moved to digital. Now where we are now, artificial intelligence. Do you understand? We are only trying to embrace digital. And we are just trying to embrace digital now. That's crazy. You know what I'm saying, there's a problem. And the only way we can get these things up and running, it is money. And that's how you see your government. They say they are using one of their systems to buy 360 cars. They are buying 5 billion air yachts. They are buying, what's it called, first ladies, what's it called, 1.7 billion. When you see all these things, it's upsetting. Because where the bulk of this fund is supposed to be channelled, which is education, it's not coming out. Education, agriculture. Do you get what I'm saying? And even finally, sorry, I'll learn the point and I'll let you comment. Even finally, right, for the education in itself, government, that student loan that they said they marked 10 billion. Inauguration. Inauguration. It's true. I know how much I paid for my children when they were in nursery. These 65,000 did not pay their nursery school fee. Do you understand? Not to talk of when they entered primary school. Secondary school, we know how much we are paid. We know how much we are going to pay now for university. School is not cheap anywhere. The reason you are able to see these people announce free education even up to tertiary institution is because somebody is paying for it. Somebody is subsidizing for it. Taxes are being deducted for that to happen. So the thing is, sorry, I don't know if you want to comment, but do you think the reason is because, like you said, something that education is really subsidized in Nigeria. Now you look at some of these countries that can afford free education. One of the things they've put in place is student loan. That is something that we don't have yet. That's what I'm even telling you. Sorry, Tanzi, to quote you. That that 10 billion is not enough. Have you not heard people say that students loan are brought? Why do they go to university in America? They pay lifetime. Because look at it. The school fees that seem to be even affordable, the minimum for the four years is 200 million Naira, where you convert the money. The minimum. And this is the cheaper one. If you now go to the ones that it is about $70,000 per annum, multiply $70,000 per annum times four years. That is the minimum you will spend. So that's why you see that some of those people, they don't go to college because they've got it free. It's okay, let them go and work. Because for you to enter a college, through student loan, you will pay a lifetime. You'll pay through your nose. Because it's not cheap. That's what I'm saying to you that even the 10 billion that the government is saying that they have a mark for it, they really want to up the standard of education. It's not, it is a drop, a tiny drop in the ocean. But let's take a break so that we'll open up our phone and say, Jella, I'll come to you. Stay with us, we'll be right back. Alright, thanks for staying with us now. If you're just changing, it's our lady's night out and we are discussing the topic about 65,000 Naira. We're asking, can it give quality, higher education? Now please, let's hear what you have to say. Remember, you can join the conversation. Send us an SMS or WhatsApp to 08-103-4663. Our phone line is now open. The number to call is 07025-007749. That's the number to call. Remember to turn off the device of whatever it is that you're watching us from so that we can hear ourselves. Okay, alright, so. Okay, so I liked what you said about, you know, for education demands investment. You know, if we want the quality, the kind of quality education that can drive productivity and can lead to nation building, then we must invest. Now, I think the challenge is, as with everything in most sectors in Nigeria, we wait for the government to intervene. That's it. Because again, pardon me to use the word, we feel entitled to it. In a system where educators understand the importance of education, they will wait on the government. They will go out there. I remember Professor Jelili, late Professor Jelili, the one time for my vice chancellor of Unilag, what he turned Unilag, I mean, at a point in time, during all that military era and all that, it was almost as if universities were not getting any funding. He turned Unilag. Then they had Unilag Bakery, Unilag Water, Unilag Business Center. Unilag was generating so much income. Yes, so much income. In fact, he almost, if you enter Unilag, Unilag was like a business hub. He was a commercial hub. And you could see a lot of partnerships going on. They were doing this partnership with this bank, this partnership with UN, whatever. And you see, they were giving them a whole lot of infrastructure. You cannot say that your educators are not be creative because again, it speaks to the kind of human capacity and human resource that you're going to have. If you say that, okay, you know what, I want to be a leading university in Nigeria. First of all, you need to work on the kind of professors or the kind of teaching staff that you have for you to attract talent like that. You must be able to pay them or you must be able to provide a certain working condition that would make someone say, okay, you know what, I think I would love to lecture in this university. Why do you think students who even go into education do not want to lecture? It's because they look at it and say, please, what is in this thing? And then the conditions are such that, well, there's no private public partnership. So I might not even have the opportunity to do research. I might not have the opportunity to do this. We need to be nicely rewarding. So you'll find a lot of Nigerians, even professors and others, who would prefer to go abroad to go and do their tenureship and all that. You understand? So we keep having this cycle of universities depending on your institution and you're the messy of the government. It doesn't make sense. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Imagine if you did lecture her, see, crowd... Imagine if they lecture her, when you say that big hall with crowd... Imagine... Imagine woman who do to miss Rongo... Honestly! She was white. I think she was coming from... she was coming from Germany or somewhere, she had but she kept... She was pure white, not even mixed bread. It's only a little... She got a face with the red! No fun, nothing... There were a couple things you highlighted that just made me think like every university has a business department, has a marketing department and people who study these courses. So I think it would be lovely if they could utilize this business or public administration or whatever the department that handles mostly like the creative part of the university could say okay for the fact that like I didn't know all that about being that I was educated in the east I didn't know all that about what yeah yeah and how he just private universities for instance if you go just like what you've said if you go into Covenant University they have their water they have their bread you know these are basic things that you know that students would eat no brainer I mean you have to be creative so imagine the people studying home economics or whatever from that department alone you would think you would think those things don't matter until you do the bottom line in the arts department things like this you know you see all those nurses you see like if you go to Cambridge I went to Cambridge you see there I bought the Cambridge sweat sweat these are all merchandise they're not because of prestigious things you work so a school must understand that outside of the education that is the business yeah right so when you are complaining about 65,000 there me I'm even saying that that 65,000 there is nothing even the hundred and even the 240,000 nothing nothing because I can tell you 240,000 would go into crutch of today if I some crutches are paying half a million yeah so let me play devil's advocate I mean I get your side I'm completely in support however I remember my argument always remains that there is keda and hierarchy right so there are people that the level of education like the vision you have for your kids is beautiful and having shared some of it with me I know that there is no way to understand it is like this is running in you get now there are other people that their vision for their kids is maybe enter school first let's just be that the answer graduate so for people within that caliber that 65,000 or 180 might be a lot for them to turn out you know so and I can relate to that because I have been growing up I happen to be in that caliber where it was it was 28 hours pain but it was a struggle for like I literally paid by school with typically at the point when it's almost close to the exams because without paying my without showing my receipts I can't take my exams you know so let me even answer that question so I think for me we need to we need parents to move past that idea that maybe picking just goes yeah because there's no point that's no point I don't want you to come out on your struggle down and on a level there's no point it better make it see if I'm in the picking golden trade that make it just enter school just to answer the name graduate so first of all that idea scrap it secondly it's true secondly I have seen mothers that are Frank Acara yes thank you I love a lot of you know I love and love I love a lot of Yoruba people do you know I love them is this thing that yeah we do have job and stand gap is abroad here I told myself anything I want to for because there was just something about this Yoruba people whatever it is that they are doing that picking must go London to the point that so I'm just trying to paint you a vivid picture here you will hear that woman is a book cut and she's running but she's able to take a child abroad my point is right first of all prioritize education should not just be about collecting a degree if not stay in your house just go and let me treat them you'll be fine but if you truly want to understand education in the essence of for which education is that it has to be a quality education and quality education does not get cheap yeah it doesn't come cheap yeah so all these conversations around oh a 65,000 to 180,000 they are wasting their time even they themselves should be grateful they should not find ways to generate that money to be able to pay for it yeah you understand that's what a lot of okay look at the way it is now they are really telling students that not have not even entered university you they said stop planning looking for summer jobs you understand so of course you want to get summer jobs it is around this time you will you will pre-apply so that but the time is July you would I mean you will thank you you are sure that okay something will come to you so people this is a system that understands the importance that these things are expensive so for us we to keep up there are some so already he plans the students life they know that summer I must work you understand for every holiday you know they must they put a structure to their life and it's okay if I ask if I do this work I can understand the students are able to work yeah why did Canada lift the you know before Canada restricted number of hours for students well now they've lifted up but yeah yeah yeah you understand the school fees don't come cheap yeah so most Nigerians that are even living for Canada why is because they want their students to already be in the system before they turn 18 genocide so that when it's time for them to go into the university they will be paying the the what's the code the indigenous fee because as the international fee to international fees like over is like yeah it's very expensive yeah you understand the yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so where everybody is thinking oh university abroad is free it's free because somebody is paying for it yeah so we need to really be serious about you know education in Nigeria I agree if it means for us to collapse some educational institutions that are not productive collapse them yeah let's have more see let me tell you something if we have people managing the educational institutions like it is being like it's a business that is being run just like what I did with Nigeria it will generate it will change the craft the arts department you understand yeah don't people buy artworks don't people do all of these things and media yeah very strong you don't you do theater shows people sell out tickets just like the way you have it everywhere you can do all of these things you sell tickets so you must not think creatively so that's why if you now have a school of creativity you know that okay this is like because the the Nigerian government is you can clearly see that part of their strong focus is the creative industry yeah even the governor mentioned it even in legal state so if you understand that the creative industry is very valuable is bringing in a lot of money you understand what stops you as a government to say you know let's invest in the creative department of most of the universities and start to turn out content to get I'm saying great and take create content create products that people can say you know and spending I would buy my ticket so the way they're moving and all of us are in our shoes yeah they will be selling our shoes because they say you'll see you need like theater department do you understand I've seen my children do plays or more I don't my heart for them secondary school student if you see the kind of things that they do in that in in their school you know luxury you would think that this production was done like in a proper film institution wow so they are talented people so if the schools become a lot more creative you know some of these things so the school might not not need to increase the fees you get but the money must come from somewhere but you see the latest way to generate this money is to just dump it back on the yeah on the parents you understand that's the latest way but if the schools to become a lot more creative there's a lot that can happen there's a lot that can happen I I also okay so like for schools abroad you would hear that or if you want to do medicine or if you're looking for you know if you if you're looking for quality education in terms of maybe health care or medicine you probably go to a school like John Hopkins you understand so I'm thinking in Nigeria again because driving driving registration is part of what brings income into a university so if I am a university owner yeah my job as a VC or the registrar or whatever is to ensure that we are able to drive people what a preferred choice you know for people seeking admission into the university how can I do that I can say okay you know what I can make one faculty a specialty if you're looking to go into maybe I don't know medicine exactly we have the best program the best curriculum the best teaching program because then it is strategic and then people be known for something people understand the value of education will begin to strategically position their children or their words to say okay you know what this is a cheaper alternative than going abroad you say you want to do this this is this book so everything you're doing is geared towards I must get into that program I must get into that school now the mistake Nigerian universities make every subject they are education in Nigeria is fairly it doesn't give us independence all-encompassing it doesn't even give you independence when you go to school in Nigeria it doesn't teach you to think you're lying good evening hello are you there okay you're gonna say yeah I was saying that the point about learning to think for a very long time in my life I realized that I don't even know how to think like I know how to envision and maybe maybe think for a little while but I don't know how to get into the depth of me and think out solutions you understand and it was a book I think is I think it was one book like that you gave me years ago one great cover book about I can't remember but those were the that was the book that made me realize that there is a problem we have a call do we have a caller okay your life hello good evening good evening yes we can hear your voice I mean funding is funding for education all over the world is challenging America keeps pumping money even at primary level all the public school system and they keep pumping money yet the money is never enough never is education education keeps evolving it keeps the needs that keep getting bigger government like it said yesterday tertiary institutions in luxury you see that primary and secondary let government revive our public schools so that somebody like me can take my child to a government school and be comfortable that is doing well public education also frankly speaking there is a lot to be learned from books I was talking about the book that exposed me to the fact that I didn't know how to think I think I remember the name of that book Kate Johnson or so the confidence make over you were the one that gave me that book it was so in the book you're meant to like think about yourself and think about confidence and thing for a long time I didn't know what to think about because I just didn't understand the art of thinking you know so sometimes yes the the government should give us invest better in schools and stuff but on our own path like there's a lot of things that my school did not all of us went to English department but nobody was speaking English like this do you understand there was some people from Anna but I still had L and R issue and all of us were in the same we are writing speech we are reading literature we are doing all these things but I wanted to be better and I didn't want people to listen to me I say ah LR she's from Anambra I didn't want that so I made the extra effort to invest in myself so yes your parents might be able to afford 180,000 or you may not even be able to afford the luxury of tertiary education but you can always learn a lot more in books because that book you're reading maybe from someone that has gone to have her that is giving you and an insight into the mind of the Harvard graduates so she's an advantage of that absolutely let's take comments quickly okay so this one is from this one says most of our elites enjoyed education without any stress but today they are systematically destroying public schools and education in the country the so-called leaders are clueless and lack the will power to provide quality education Rafael from Zarya so good evening ladies 65,000 can't deliver quality education in Nigeria today it says in today's Nigeria rather it can't even deliver quality primary issue thank you my brother recall we mentioned how education neglected in Nigeria not long ago truth is the entire education system is wrong federal and state government got no business running universities like we have this government owned universities being subsidized all these years and with neglect never reinvented for changing realities now ideally the government should have invited private sector to invest God bless you and run the universities instead of proliferation of private universities we now have and it says quality over quantity until we have people in government serious about revamping education in Nigeria the road continues unfortunately this is what how with all the government having their children's school with all the government having their children's school offshore serious countries like educate take education seriously for obvious reason so it's not going to be possible for us for them to revamp education because all the government officials are taking their schools of water brought me or Molly if we may we take our children abroad I was telling my my friend I said not be my children will tell you the state to experiment I'm standing out well didn't share good evening my dear system of what are you saying how shall we can 65,000 never give quality high education the answer is a capital no this is just like a child's play and chicken change my dead beautiful sister or said that education in Nigeria is a sorry state and they don't invest enough you cannot give good and quality education with that amount Nigeria should invest more in education and prioritize it when a teacher or lecturer earns less it is because there is no quality delivery I am feeling very guilty right now for giving me my two beautiful and amazing sisters or and Sandra for not wishing you a happy birthday happy birthday to you two ladies many more years and sound health love you loads God bless you all Daniel you always regular fan thank you Daniel on that note we're gonna take a break oh there is one moment okay all right primary education is foundation for any serious country followed by secondary education this was why late our world made primary education free in the old Western region in Nigeria on that note thank you so much ladies thank you we move and sure you follow us across all our social media handles at wish your Africa you can interact with us further drop a comment most importantly follow us you know like share invite your families and friends to watch and follow the conversation if you missed this very interesting course it says we cannot as a country improve economically socially and culturally without quality education simply not gonna happen yeah see you guys tomorrow at 8 p.m. so bring another great conversation to your screen