5,000 UNIBEN Students Risk Missing Exams Over Unpaid Fees

According to Ireporter Online, over 5,000 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) may be barred from participating in the second-semester examinations scheduled to begin on Monday due to their failure to pay the required school charges.

In a memo signed by the Registrar, Mr. Ademola Bobola, the university reiterated the strict enforcement of its “no school charges, no examination” policy, noting that repeated reminders issued to defaulting students had been disregarded.

The statement revealed that many of the affected students also failed to take advantage of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), designed to assist those unable to immediately meet their financial obligations. Bobola explained that despite several appeals encouraging students to either pay their charges or subscribe to the loan scheme, no meaningful response was received from the defaulters.

“With the commencement of the second-semester examinations on Monday, September 29, any student who has not cleared their school charges or enrolled in the NELFUND scheme will not be permitted to sit for the examinations,” the registrar warned.

He further disclosed that the Senate had directed provosts, deans, directors, and heads of departments to publish the names of all defaulters by 8 a.m. on Monday, to enable them confirm their status and make last-minute payments before exams commence.

In addition, Bobola announced the creation of an enforcement task force, led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), to ensure total compliance with the directive. He emphasized that the cooperation of all stakeholders was crucial in upholding the university’s standards.

A similar scenario was reported earlier in April 2025 at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, where the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, announced the implementation of a “no fees, no examination” policy. At the time, the institution warned students against misusing school fees provided by their parents on gambling or other frivolous activities, stressing the importance of financial responsibility.