The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has announced that more than 5,000 students may be prevented from participating in the upcoming second-semester examinations scheduled to commence on Monday, September 29, 2025, due to non-payment of school charges.
In a statement issued by the institution’s Registrar, Mr. Ademola Bobola, the management reaffirmed its commitment to the “no payment of school charges, no examination” policy, stressing that all repeated appeals to the affected students had been ignored.
“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 stated.
According to him, the administration has made numerous efforts to assist students in either clearing their financial obligations or enrolling in the federal government-backed loan scheme, but such interventions have not yielded the desired response.
“With the second-semester examination set to begin on Monday, September 29, these students shall be barred from writing the examination if they fail to pay their school charges or subscribe to the students’ loan by NELFUND,” the registrar emphasized.
The Senate of the university has instructed provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publish the full list of defaulting students by 8 a.m. on Monday to ensure transparency. This would also provide affected students with a final chance to regularize their payments.
An enforcement task force chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) has been established to guarantee strict compliance with the directive.
“Management expects full cooperation and compliance by all stakeholders to maintain the university’s high standards,” Bobola added.
It is noteworthy that similar measures have been taken in other institutions. For instance, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, had in April 2025 implemented a “no school fees, no exam” policy, with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, warning students against mismanaging funds meant for their education.
okaynews.com reports that this development underscores a broader trend among Nigerian universities to enforce discipline in fee compliance, while also promoting access to financial support through government loan schemes.
