The lawmakers say the increase in fees could cause disruptions for students who cannot afford them and that while many may be forced to defer their studies, others could drop out of school.
The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to suspend all forms of increment of school fees in federal government-owned universities.
This resolution was reached on Tuesday following a motion by Aliyu Madaki (NNPP, Kano) during plenary.
Mr Madaki, in his motion, said some universities had increased fees by over 200 per cent and equally increased accommodation fees by 100 per cent. He noted that the increments are coming at a time when households in Nigeria are battling with high inflation and other economic challenges.
According to him, schools like the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the University of Uyo, the University of Maiduguri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and Federal University, Dutse have all increased their fees.
"The increase could cause disruptions for a number of students who can not afford the fees, and while many of them would be forced to defer their studies, others could drop out.
"The hike may aggravate the already volatile situation in the country as students are already making threats which could lead to an uprising against the federal government, with grievous consequences for the country as a whole," he said.
Consequently, the House resolved that the National Universities Commission (NUC) should immediately halt the implementation of the increment of fees by federal universities.
Furthermore, it mandated the Committee on Tertiary Education and Services (when constituted) to investigate the increase of fees by federal universities across the country to find lasting solutions to the challenges in the tertiary education sector.
The motion was taken without debate by the House.
Unity schools
Similarly, the House, in a separate motion, asked the federal government to reverse the increment of school fees in all federal government-owned secondary schools.
The resolution was a sequel to a motion moved by Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Kama Nkemkanma (LP, Ebonyi).
Moving the motion, Mr Nkemkanma said the increment of fees announced by the Ministry of Education was causing untold hardship for students.
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"The recently approved increase in school fees for students in Federal Government Colleges across the country by the Federal Ministry of Education has caused anxiety among parents and students who are still grappling with the effects of the economic hardship caused by the recent subsidy removal.
"The increment will likely lead to a decline in students enrolment in these schools, which were originally intended to be affordable, the impact of which would be on the already declining quality of education and the overall development of Nigeria," he said.
Mr Nkemkanma also raised the alarm on the state of school infrastructure, noting that the government needs to increase school allocation.
"The facilities in Unity Schools across the country are severely dilapidated while the schools lack materials required for teaching, which has negatively affected the quality of teaching and students' performances in general," he said.
Following the presentation of the motion, the House resolved to urge the Federal Ministry of Education to review the new school fees regime in Federal Government Colleges and revert to the old regime.
It urged the federal government to adequately fund the education sector by increasing budgetary provisions to ensure Nigerian students have access to quality and affordable basic and senior secondary education.
The House also mandated the Committee on Basic Education, when constituted, to investigate the hike in school fees for students of Federal Government Colleges across the country to ensure that basic education remains accessible and affordable to Nigerians and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
