UI: Rising Trend of IVF Egg Donation among Female Students Signals a Terrible Consequence of Education Commercialisation
ERC Reiterates Its Call for Adequate Funding of Public Education under Democratic Control
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), University of Ibadan branch, expresses deep concern over the rising trend of female students resorting to IVF egg donation as a means to cope with the financial burden of education. This alarming development starkly exposes the devastating impact of the recent push toward full commercialisation of education in the university, as well as the harsh economic conditions in the country.
For instance, during the 2022/2023 academic session, the university administration increased school fees by 453% to 750%, depending on the course. Fees that previously ranged between N64,600 and N69,600 soared to between N230,000 and N412, 000. Despite this steep hike, there was little to show in terms of meaningful improvement in learning and living conditions. The university administration has further demanded that newly admitted students for the 2023/2024 session pay fees allegedly N10,000 higher than those paid in the previous session. Additionally, there are speculations that returning students may face another fee increase of over 200%.
As always, the ERC reiterates its opposition to any form of fee hike, either for new or returning students. Any fee increase at this time will only worsen the economic hardship brought about by the various anti-people policies implemented by the Bola Tinubu government hardships already deeply felt by the masses, including students.
The increasing reliance on egg donation by female students at the University of Ibadan and other universities to survive and fund their education is a clear indication of the desperation and hardship faced by Nigerian students. In other words, this is not as a personal choice, but as a last resort to survive the crushing financial burden of tertiary education. This deeply exploitative practice, where students risk their health for cash, is a symptom of a failed capitalist system that treats education not as a social service, but as a luxury reserved for those who can afford exorbitant school fees and other escalating costs.
It is unacceptable that students are forced to resort to such extreme measures to access education in a country that is abundantly rich in both human and natural resources. Free and quality education is a fundamental right—not a privilege. It is a constitutional duty of the government to ensure public education is well-funded and accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic background. Unfortunately, successive Nigerian governments have abdicated this responsibility by adopting anti-people policies that commercialise education and turn it into a commodity.
The ERC totally condemns this trend and urges students of the University of Ibadan to prevail upon the newly elected leadership of the Students’ Union to begin immediate mobilization toward building resistance against any further fee hike. This resistance must also demand an end to the ongoing victimization of student activists currently facing disciplinary action from the university administration over a peaceful protest against fee hike—including the reinstatement of Nice Linanus, the democratically elected Student Representative from Awo Hall, as a member of the Students Representative Council of the UI Students’ Union.
The ERC proposes that any resistance against fee hikes and attacks on democratic rights at the University of Ibadan should serve as a catalyst for a nationwide movement against anti-people policies like the commercialisation of education. These policies are responsible for the chronic underfunding of public education and the conditions that force students into huge debt, multiple jobs, and exploitative or dangerous survival strategies. This is not only unjust but also threatens the well-being and future of Nigerian students.
Students must begin to organize independent actions, from one campus to another, to demand that the government urgently address the funding crisis in public education. This includes increasing funding for public schools and universities under democratic control by elected representatives of the working people.
Our Demands:
- Adequate funding of public education
- Abolish exploitative and outrageous school fees
- Introduce student-friendly welfare programs to support housing, feeding, and healthcare
We stand in solidarity with all students facing hardship and exploitation. The ERC calls on the government to take immediate steps toward a just, equitable, and accessible education system—one that protects the dignity, health, and future of all Nigerian students.
To join the ERC and help build it at the University of Ibadan, send a message to the following numbers: 08033914091 and 08027564324.
Nnamdi Ochi
ERC UI Branch Secretary
Email: [email protected]