The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the management of Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State, to immediately halt plans to prevent students with outstanding tuition fees from registering for academic activities or sitting for examinations.
In a statement issued by the National President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the association described the university’s decision as insensitive and anti-student, particularly at a time when many affected students are awaiting the disbursement of tuition payments through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
According to NANS, the university had directed students who could not pay their fees to defer their semester or academic session, warning that those who failed to either pay or obtain official approval for deferment would forfeit both the semester and the academic session. The institution also stated that students who deferred without approval would be barred from registering for the next academic session.
The student body condemned the directive, arguing that it contradicts the principles of accessible and inclusive education.
NANS said the Federal Government introduced the NELFUND scheme to ensure that financial difficulties do not prevent qualified Nigerian students from accessing higher education. It therefore described the university’s position as one that undermines the objective of the student loan programme.
The association noted that many of the affected students had already applied for NELFUND and that the university would receive their tuition payments once the funds are released. It argued that denying such students the opportunity to write examinations while awaiting disbursement is unfair.
NANS also recalled that many institutions had previously delayed refunding students who paid their fees before receiving NELFUND support, adding that the association had to intervene before several universities began processing refunds.
According to the student body, more than 5,000 students are reportedly affected by the university’s decision.
The association warned that it would not stand by while thousands of students are denied access to examinations because of delays in tuition payments already covered under the NELFUND scheme.
It further declared that if the affected students are not allowed to complete their registration and sit for examinations, the examinations should not proceed for any student.
NANS urged the Vice-Chancellor of the university to immediately reverse the policy and allow all affected students to participate in academic activities without discrimination.
The association warned that failure to comply would leave it with no option but to relocate its national secretariat to the university to protest what it described as anti-student policies until the rights of the affected students are fully restored.
