Date: 2018-10-15

The National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) has called on the state government to review the tuition paid by students in various state-owned tertiary institutions. The affected institutions are Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, International Aviation College (IAC) Ilorin, and International Vocational, Technical and Entrepreneurship College (IVTEC), Ajase-Ipo.

The association emphasised that if the fees are reviewed downward, it will go a long way in reducing the hardship faced by most parents in ensuring their children gets the desired education.

The Executive President of NAKSS, Comrade Musa Muhammad Mancha made the call recently during a press conference organised at the NUJ Press Centre, Ilorin.

"Above all, if many of our students are becoming pilots, it will improve the profile of the state and if we have more graduates from IVTEC, it will assist in reducing unemployment rate in the state. As graduates from this institution, our teeming youths will be self-employed and they will in return employ others thereby reducing crime in the society," Mancha stated.

While assuring of his administration's commitment towards students’ welfare, Mancha stated that the Kwara State Government has approved the sum of N100 million for the payment of student's bursary.

"In the journey of this association to ensure improved welfare for students, we have been able to ensure that the sum of N100 million has been approved for the 2018 bursary. By the grace of God, we will not relent in working round the clock to ensure the release of the fund by the Kwara State Government soon.

"You will agree with me that it has been few years ago we benefited scholarship from the government. But I want to assure you that we are meeting the government and also extending the pursue of the scholarship to private individuals that are wealthy to see how they can assist our students. "We understand the fact that it is not as if our teeming youths in the state don't want to go to school but they don't have the financial capacity to do so. We have visited philanthropists and stakeholders within the state and they have assured us of their support towards the growth of education in the state," he stated.

Speaking further, Mancha said under his leadership, a lot of programmes that will benefit the students have been introduced such as reduction of school fees at KWASU, and improvement in infrastructures across various schools among others.