No fewer than 5,000 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) may be barred from sitting for their second-semester examinations scheduled to begin Monday, September 29, following their failure to pay school charges.
In a memo signed by the Registrar, Ademola Bobola, the institution said it would strictly enforce its controversial “no school fees, no exam” policy. According to the circular, repeated reminders had been ignored by the affected students, who also refused to subscribe to the students’ loan scheme introduced by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“The university management is in receipt of the list of students who have failed to pay their school charges despite repeated reminders. These students have also failed to subscribe to the students’ loans being provided by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND),” Bobola wrote.
With the examinations only days away, the registrar warned that defaulters would not be allowed into exam halls unless they either clear their outstanding charges or enroll for the government loan facility.
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The memo further revealed that UNIBEN’s Senate had directed all provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publicly display the names of defaulters by 8 a.m. on Monday. The aim, management said, was to enable students to confirm their status and possibly make last-minute payments before the exams commence.
To ensure compliance, an enforcement task force headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) has been set up to monitor examination venues and prevent defaulting students from participating.
“Management expects full cooperation and compliance by all stakeholders to maintain the university’s high standards,” the statement added.
This is not an isolated development. On April 10, 2025, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, also rolled out a “no school fees, no exam” policy. During a roadshow across the campus, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, cautioned students against diverting school fees provided by their parents into gambling and other frivolous activities.
