Abuja: The National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has expressed its support for the Federal Government’s decision to shut down educational institutions that demand tuition fees in foreign currencies. The association condemned the practice as exploitative and unpatriotic, insisting that it should not be tolerated in any form.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Chairman of NAPTAN’s Board of Trustees, emphasized that no Nigerian institution should require fees in dollars or any foreign denomination. He stated that parents should not consent to such exploitative terms, as they undermine Nigeria’s economy and contradict the core values that education aims to instill. Ogunbanjo stressed that education should foster patriotism rather than deplete the nation’s foreign reserves.

Ogunbanjo questioned the rationale behind schools’ insistence on foreign currency payments, pointing out that no other country allows such practices for foreign residents. He highlighted that even neighboring Ghana does not operate in this manner and questioned whether a Nigerian could pay school fees in naira in countries like the UK or the United States. Ogunbanjo urged the government to penalize schools engaged in this practice to deter others and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s education sector.

He further emphasized that any institution demanding foreign currency payments should be considered unpatriotic and shut down until the policy is reversed. The NAPTAN Chairman reiterated the association’s full support for the government, asserting that demanding fees in foreign currencies harms the economy and must be stopped immediately to restore fairness in the education system.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, had previously announced the government’s intention to close schools charging tuition fees in foreign currencies. Alake made this declaration during the Nigeria Gold Day Celebration, held alongside Nigeria’s Mining Week in Abuja. He described the practice as a significant leakage weakening Nigeria’s economy and called for decisive action to end it. Alake stated that the amount of foreign currency channeled into these schools is substantial and proposed to the Federal Executive Council that all such schools be closed to prevent further economic drain. He emphasized that the practice is one of the major loopholes undermining national growth and economic stability.