UNIBEN bars students over unpaid fees as over 5,000 risk missing exams for failing to pay or access the NELFUND student loan despite repeated reminders

UNIBEN bars students over unpaid fees, placing more than 5,000 undergraduates at risk of missing second-semester examinations set to begin on Monday, 29 September.

Also read: UNIBEN Releases Post-UTME Results, Clarifies Admission Status

In a statement issued by the university’s Registrar, Mr Ademola Bobola, the University of Benin announced the strict enforcement of its “no payment of school charges, no examination” policy.

Despite repeated reminders, the affected students have neither paid their fees nor taken advantage of the student loan option offered through 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,” Bobola stated.

He further explained that the defaulters had also failed to subscribe to NELFUND, which was designed to ease the financial burden on students.

As a result, they now face being locked out of exam halls unless immediate steps are taken.

To ensure strict compliance, the Senate has directed all provosts, deans, and heads of departments to publicly display the list of defaulters by 8 a.m. on Monday.

This is intended to give students a final chance to confirm their status and make last-minute payments or loan applications before exams commence.

An enforcement task force, headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), has been established to oversee compliance and prevent any unauthorised participation in exams.

Bobola urged for “full cooperation and compliance by all stakeholders to maintain the university’s high standards”.

This move echoes similar enforcement actions across Nigerian universities. On 10 April 2025, PUNCH Online reported that Rivers State University also implemented a “no school fees, no exam” policy, with its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, warning students against misusing school fees.

Also read: UNIBEN Releases Post-UTME Results, Clarifies Admission Status

UNIBEN’s firm stance underlines a growing trend of financial accountability within Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, though it has also raised concerns about accessibility for students facing genuine hardship.