Nigerian Expert Slams Fee Payment for Doctoral Students: “PhD Is Research, Not School”
- An educationist, Alex Onyia, took to social media to question why PhD students in Nigeria were required to pay school fees
- The education expert compared the system to other countries where doctoral students were funded and paid stipends
- His comments sparked online debate about research funding and education reform in Nigeria amid criticism
A Nigerian educationist has sparked conversations online after questioning the practice of PhD students paying school fees in Nigerian universities.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the man, with the username Alex Onyia, expressed his concern over what he described as a major flaw in Nigeria's education system.
Source: UGC
According to him, doctoral programmes should be focused on research and knowledge production rather than being treated like regular classroom education.
PhD students in Nigeria pay tuition fees
PhD students are known to contribute significantly to universities by conducting research, teaching and supervising undergraduate students, publishing academic papers, and improving institutional ranking. For these reasons, the man stated that those students should not be required to pay for tuition fees.
Alex Onyia compared Nigeria's system with practices in other countries, where PhD students are often fully funded.
Source: UGC
“In Nigeria, we treat the highest level of knowledge production like a burden instead of an investment,” he wrote.
He added that starving research of funding would make it hard for the country to achieve innovation and development.
According to FindAPhD, most PhD students in the USA do not pay tuition fees. Instead, they received "full funding," which includes a complete tuition waiver and a monthly stipend for living expenses in exchange for working as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA).
Reaction to concern on Nigeria's PhD system
His comments have since drawn reactions online, with many Nigerians sharing similar concerns about the state of higher education in the country. Some of the comments are below.
@AbujaHausa said:
"Why are PhD students in Nigeria paying school fees? Waoo. Hearing this for the first time oo."
@OracleAyo said:
"In Nigeria, mostly science-research-oriented PhD students are funded; the rest are self-funded. having PhD in Nigeria is not for the faint-hearted, thanks to the private universities for coming through."
@Thiago7Flex commented:
"Wait till you find out the amount Professors are paid monthly."
@Lanre05175857 wrote:
"My reservation with Nigerian education starts with allowing people without any job experience or clear career path to pursue master’s degrees, what exactly are they trying to master? Our education system seriously needs revamping."
@thatMrT
"In Nigeria, certificates are business for institutions. We were asked to pay and we don't have to read, but lecturer will provide us with question and answer scripts during exams. I quit. My mates paid. Popular Federal University in Nigeria. Won't name names."
See his X post below:
Man speaks on Covenant University tuition fees
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Covenant University released its approved school fees for the 2026 academic session, sparking widespread debate.
Many Nigerians criticised the fees as expensive, despite the university explaining they covered tuition, accommodation, and services.
A Nigerian man defended the school, comparing its fees to other private universities and questioning the backlash over its church ownership.
Source: Legit.ng
