The Edo state Governor, during a visit to the NUC to obtain the Certificate of Recognition for the newly established Edo State University has lamented the effects of the depreciating naira, Foreign Exchange prices and unavailability of Forex on Nigerian students studying abroad.
Oshiomhole added that the increasing difficulties caused by the unavailability of Forex to these students may force them into drug businesses for survival.
He added that; “Now, people are trapped; if you cannot deliver school fees to them, some of them will resort to drugs and other things and give Nigeria a bad name.”
Speaking on the plan of the newly established university to reduce the population of admission seekers in the country by opening up more room for candidates and providing alternative to schilling abroad, the Edo State Governor said; “If we look at how much we are exporting to foreign universities; if we have sensible policies here that charge relative fees for students who can afford it and we are saying, don’t go to Ghana because here in Edo you will get the quality school but you have to pay for it,”
The Edo State Governor further expressed dissatisfaction with the attitude of politicians towards education sector, he said; “The political elites have a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to the time of fashioning out public policy on education. We have resulted to a privatised solution to a matter that requires a national policy.
“Every senior Nigerian, public or private, now finds it comfortable in sending the child to UK, US where you pay a minimum of $40,000 yearly or even $60,000, depending on the university. Those who cannot afford it send their children to Ghana and we allow our universities to remain where they are; we are not able to encourage them to charge appropriate fees and we pretend we can deliver quality free university education,”