Top Nigerian University Bars 5000 Students From Writing Exams, Explains Why

• UNIBEN says over 5,000 students may miss second-semester exams starting September 29 for failing to pay school charges despite repeated reminders
• The Registrar, Ademola Bobola, urged defaulters to pay or use the NELFUND loan scheme, warning lists of indebted students will be published on exam day
• A task force led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) has been set up to enforce compliance, echoing similar strict measures recently adopted by Rivers State University

Benin, Edo state - No fewer than 5,000 students of the University of Benin risk being barred from sitting their second-semester examinations, after failing to pay their school charges.

The exam is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 29.

In a memo signed by the Registrar, Mr Ademola Bobola, the institution said it would strictly enforce its long-standing “no payment of school charges, no examination” policy.

According to the UNIBEN Registrar, repeated reminders issued to defaulters had been ignored.

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“The university management is in receipt of the list of students who have failed to pay their school charges despite repeated reminders,” Bobola stated.

UNIBEN urges students to use loan facility

The Registrar explained that the affected students had also declined to subscribe to the student loans provided by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

“All efforts to encourage the affected students to either pay their fees or access the NELFUND facility have yielded no positive response,” he said.

Deadline set ahead of examinations

Bobola further disclosed that with the examinations due to start on Monday, September 29, defaulters would not be allowed to take part unless they made payments or subscribed to the loan scheme, Punch reported.

“The Senate has directed provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publish the list of all defaulters by 8 a.m. on Monday. This is to enable affected students to confirm their status and make last-minute payments before the examinations commence,” the Registrar explained.

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UNIBEN task force to ensure compliance

For ensuring compliance, an administration has set up a task force led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) to oversee compliance.

"Management anticipates complete cooperation and adherence by everyone to uphold the high standards of the university," Bobola said.

Similar measures at Rivers state University

This development follows a similar move by the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, which earlier this year implemented a “no school fees, no exam” policy, Leadership reported.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, had urged students not to misuse funds given to them by their parents, warning that diverting money meant for school fees into gambllng or other vices would only create hardship for them and their sponsors.

Ibadan: ASUU awards 1.1m Scholarships to students

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the University of Ibadan Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities said that its resolve to make education accessible to every willing but needy student was the reason it instituted a scholarship opportunity for some indigent students of the university.

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Legit.ng gathered that eleven poor students were given scholarships amounting to N1.1 million by the Union to pursue a current 2024/2025 academic year.

Speaking during his speech at the award ceremony venue, ASUU-UI Secretariat complex, University of Ibadan ASUU Chairman, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, said despite the imperative of the moment for the academic community in terms of delayed pay and suspended negotiation with the Federal Government, the union is not let down in its resolve to assist poor students.

Source: Legit.ng