FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL AND THE EDUCATION OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN: A STUDY OF SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

The removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria in May 2023 significantly altered the cost of petrol, transportation and household consumption, with possible consequences for children's access to and participation in education. This study examined the influence of fuel subsidy removal on the education of school-age children in selected secondary schools in North-Central Nigeria. The study focused on transportation costs, school attendance, punctuality, access to educational materials, student retention and participation in school activities. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The study used a sample of 205 secondary school students selected from selected schools in North-Central Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The findings indicated that respondents agreed that fuel subsidy removal increased transportation costs (cluster mean = 3.31), affected school attendance (3.11), affected punctuality (3.22), reduced access to educational materials (3.25), affected student retention (3.20), and reduced participation in school activities (3.11). The hypotheses showed significant relationships between transportation costs and school attendance (r = 0.61, p = .000), household economic pressure and punctuality (r = 0.57, p = .000), household expenditure and access to educational materials (r = 0.54, p = .000), and economic pressure and student retention (r = 0.49, p = .000). The study concludes that the educational implications of fuel subsidy removal extend beyond transportation to household capacity to sustain children's schooling. The study recommends targeted transportation support, educational social protection and measures to reduce the financial burden on vulnerable households.