NASS Roundup: Rising school fees, insecurity, poor telecom network, other stories from House of Reps

A plenary session of the House of Reps

The House on Tuesday urged the federal government to halt recent increases in tuition fees and other mandatory charges by public tertiary institutions, warning that the development could undermine the objectives of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The call followed a motion moved by Ifeoluwa Ehindero (APC, Ondo), who said some public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education had increased their fees by more than 100 per cent.

He argued the increases could widen inequalities in access to education and make it harder for students from low-income families to benefit from the federal government’s student loan scheme.

The lawmakers urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to engage institutions’ management on suspending the increases and reviewing their tuition structures.

The House also mandated its Committees on University Education, Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, and Federal Colleges of Education to investigate the extent and justification for the increases.

The House Ad Hoc Committee on Telecommunications Service Quality rejected a request by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to allow its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, to represent telecommunications companies at its investigation into poor network services.

The committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun), insisted that the chief executives of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other operators must appear individually to explain persistent complaints about dropped calls, poor internet connectivity, failed airtime and data transactions, and inadequate network coverage.

The committee gave the executives until 4 November to appear, warning that noncompliance could attract warrants of arrest.

The lawmakers argued that the operators held individual licences and should be directly accountable for service quality.

The investigation comes amid persistent subscriber complaints. Figures cited during the proceedings showed that the four major operators recorded a combined 413,587 consumer complaints in the first half of 2026.

Lawmakers seek security, humanitarian intervention after Taraba killings

Following the deadly bandit attack on Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, the House on Thursday called for urgent security and humanitarian interventions for affected communities.

The lawmakers adopted a motion moved by Mohammed Audu (APC, Taraba), who said between 57 and 60 people reportedly died in the 23 October attack.

According to the lawmaker, the attackers opened fire on residents and traders at a community market, killing 10 people at the scene. In contrast, several others reportedly drowned in a river as they fled.

The House urged the federal government to strengthen intelligence-sharing among security agencies in Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states and called on relevant humanitarian agencies to provide relief materials to affected families.

It also called for the completion of the abandoned Wase-Karim Lamido road project, which lawmakers said would improve access for security personnel responding to attacks.

The House referred the motion to the Committees on the North-East Development Commission, Works, and the National Emergency Management Agency for further legislative action.

The House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education gave the management of Kaduna Polytechnic 72 hours to submit financial records following concerns about declining internally generated revenue and the remittance of statutory deductions.

During an oversight visit to the institution on 28 October, the committee, chaired by Fuad Laguda (APC, Lagos), questioned why the polytechnic’s internally generated revenue fell from ₦1.478 billion in 2023 to ₦1.398 billion in 2024 and ₦1.332 billion in 2025 despite an increase in student enrolment.

The lawmakers also demanded documentary evidence showing that approximately ₦1.3 billion deducted as pension contributions had been remitted to the appropriate authorities.

They further sought explanations on the payment of death benefits to the families of more than 30 employees reportedly deceased between 2023 and 2025.

The Rector, Suleiman Umar, represented by the Deputy Rector (Academic), Aliyu Usman, denied any default in pension remittances and assured the committee that the requested documents would be submitted within the stipulated period.

The committee said it would review the documents before determining whether the institution had complied with its financial and statutory obligations.

The House also called on the federal government to establish a transparent regulatory framework for importing electric vehicles (EVs), compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and other clean mobility equipment into Nigeria.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos) on 27 October.

Mr Kuye argued that although the government had introduced fiscal incentives, including import duty and tax reliefs, to encourage investment in cleaner transportation technologies, the policy required clear regulations to ensure local investment and consumer protection.

Under the proposed framework, companies seeking approval to import the vehicles would be required, where applicable, to establish certified maintenance centres, provide genuine spare parts and warranty support, and employ and train qualified Nigerian technical personnel.

They would also be expected to invest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure or CNG refuelling facilities and comply with relevant safety, environmental and technical standards.

The House urged the National Automotive Design and Development Council, the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Customs Service to develop objective criteria for approving importers.

It mandated the relevant House committees to monitor implementation and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.