By Faith Ajewole
Financial hardship and administrative policies have once again collided within Nigeria’s higher education system.
The tension recently peaked at the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State, where numerous students were barred from sitting for their semester examinations due to unpaid tuition, a delay directly caused by discrepancies and slow disbursements from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
In response to the development, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) stated on Monday by NANS National Secretary General, Oladimeji Uthman, strongly condemning the university’s actions, revealing that over 5,000 students in the Federal University of Wakari were affected by the policy. NANS described the move as a direct attack on Nigerian students and a clear negation of the Federal Government’s education financing objectives.
Beyond denying exam access, NANS issued a stern warning against the widespread practice of imposing fines for late registration, stating that the standard “No Payment, No Examination” policy is sufficient to ensure compliance. Adding penalty fees to already strained students only worsens their plight.
At the University of Ibadan, for instance, students are subjected to a “Late Registration Fee” of ₦20,000.
However, the association described these policies as deeply insensitive to the economic realities facing students and parents nationwide.
NANS emphasised that because NELFUND operates independently of individual institutional academic calendars, loan processing and disbursement schedules do not always align with school fee deadlines. Penalising students for administrative delays beyond their control is both unfair and counterproductive to government efforts to ease the burden on citizens.
This administrative hostility takes a heavy mental toll on students. Expecting individuals to prepare adequately for high-stakes examinations while simultaneously scrambling to secure funds creates immense psychological pressure, often leading to poor academic performance and severely encroaching on equal access to education.
Because these students have already been cleared for NELFUND loans, institutions are guaranteed to receive their tuition payments once funds are released, making punitive measures both unnecessary and unjust.
The association also highlighted a broader issue, noting that several tertiary institutions have delayed refunding students who paid their tuition before receiving their NELFUND disbursements, only initiating refunds after sustained pressure from student leadership.
Consequently, NANS called on management across all tertiary institutions in the federation to immediately review and abolish policies imposing punitive charges on late registration, urging them instead to adopt student-friendly alternatives that balance administrative order with consideration.
Directing affected students to report cases of exploitation through official channels, NANS has pledged to engage university authorities directly. Closing with a firm warning against exploitative administrative charges, NANS made its stance explicit: if affected students are denied the right to register and sit for their examinations, then examinations would not proceed for anyone.
Credit: Tribune Online, The Guardian
