Education
Nigerian Universities And Resolution Abolishing Acceptance Fees
By Jerome-Mario Utomi
Recently, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State approved a 25 per cent reduction in acceptance fees payable in the four state-owned universities as part of palliatives for students. The governor’s approval was contained in a statement issued by Festus Ahon, his chief press secretary, on Wednesday, in Asaba.
According to the statement, the reduction in the acceptance fee was in line with measures taken by the Delta State government to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on citizens. Ahon further said that the 25 per cent reduction was applicable to new students at the state-owned Delta State University, Abraka; Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro; University of Delta, Agbor, and Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai-Asaba.
Essentially, the Governor’s action is understandable and appreciated, particularly when one remembers that the governor had earlier approved the payment of N10,000 to workers for three months and payment of N5.522bn to 50,196 workers as promotion arrears and palliatives to civil servants across the state, this piece however, holds the opinion that the issue that has to do with demand for acceptance by leaderships of tertiary institutions in the country, under any guise ought not arise in the first instance.
The reason for the above assertion is predicated on the fact that there exists a resolution by the Federal House Of Representatives abolishing the demand of Acceptance Fees by tertiary institutions of higher learning in the country, not even in Delta state-owned universities or any federally-owned university in Nigeria. In fact, any public officeholder who breaks the law is a threat to those very structures of the government he pledged to protect.
Adding context to the discourse, it is factually supported that in November 2019, Nigeria’s House of Representatives, following public outcry against the excruciating acceptance fee charged by the nation’s institutions of higher learning moved a motion through Honourable Emeka Chinedu, PDP-Imo (Ahiazu Mbaise/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency), abolishing the payment of such fees in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Leading the debate, Mr Chinedu, according to the reports observed that one of the factors contributing to poor access to tertiary education is the “predatory admission policies being enforced by tertiary institutions, particularly the requirement for payment of non-refundable acceptance fees as a condition precedent for admission”.
He said in part; “it should bother the lawmakers that Imo State University charges N70,000 as acceptance fee. “Other institutions like the University of Ibadan charge 35,000; University of Lagos, 20,000; Ahmadu Bello University, 30,000; Lagos State University, N20,000; University of Uyo, 25,000, and University of Benin hovers between N60, 000.00 to N75, 000.00, depending on the department and faculty”.
In the end, the plenary presided over by the Former Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, (present Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu) described acceptance fees as exploitative and called on the Federal Government, to immediately abolish the payment of such fees in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Without a doubt, when parents and their wards heard of this resolution, they were happy.
But reacting to the development via a piece, I described the resolution as a two-edged sword. First, it portrayed the House as both a responsive and responsible body capped with the listening capacity to the yearning of the poor Nigerians. The piece in question also argued that the House of Representatives resolution shows that the survival of freedom depends upon the rule of law.
But on second thought, I submitted that the validity of the resolution will largely depend on how the university authorities in the country respect, interpret and enforce such promulgation, particularly, as demand for acceptance fees in the institutions of higher learning in Nigeria has become a ‘culture’ that will be too difficult to uproot.
Today, such fear can no longer be described as unfounded.
The early warning that led to my expression of fear was nourished by perennial underfunding of the nation’s education sector and exacerbated by reluctant respect University leaderships in the country have paid to similar directives in the past.
Take, as an illustration, Idowu Olayinka, vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan,(as he then was), while informing the media of his institution’s readiness to comply with the directive on acceptance fee, explained that the amount accruing to the University of Ibadan, for instance, in a year is not enough to fund the university in a month. “Therefore, the school has to look for alternative means to source for funds”.
“Someone has to take up the bill,” he said. “We have to make up our mind on what we really want. You can’t even run a creche without funds. In a year, we spend at least N200 million on our clinic contractors. Add this to the electricity bill and diesel, then you’re talking of over N800 million. “What the university is getting for overhead is less than N100 million. So where do you think the remaining N700 million will come from? Unless you want to close down the whole university,” he added.
For me, why all Nigerians of goodwill should worry about these blanket inability by tertiary schools in Nigeria to comply with the House’s directive on acceptance fee is that instead of schools acting in compliance, many contrary to expectation and to the surprise of stakeholders/observers retained the prevailing fees while the rest in absolute disobedience and challenge to the new order had an upward review of their acceptance fees.
Also deeply troubling is the awareness that school authorities demanding acceptance fees from new students have not been able to explain what the payment signifies or provide answers as to why students must pay acceptance fee for an admission they voluntarily expressed interest and paid examination fees, took time to study in order to be admitted.
Expressly, it will be convenient for many to argue that the crushing weight arising from education funding in Nigeria and globally has become too heavy for only the government to shoulder, and therefore, our collective responsibility to ensure that our schools work and our children are properly educated at the right time in ways that will necessitate payments such as acceptance fees.
This fact notwithstanding, it does not in any way justify the demand for acceptance fees.
To therefore curb this illicit collection, Nigerian universities and other institutions of higher learning in the country as well as the Federal and state governments must in the first instance consider education as the bedrock of development; that with sound educational institutions, a country is as good as made -as the institutions will turn out all rounded manpower to continue with the development of the society driven by well thought out ideas, policies, programmes, and projects.
We must also come to the collective recognition that across the world, children enjoy the right to education as enshrined by a number of international conventions, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which recognizes a compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all, as well as the progressive introduction of free higher education/obligation to develop equitable access to higher education.
Finally, the government and of course universities in the country must not use it to deny our youths the opportunity to be educated. If we do, chances are that most of them will run to the streets. And as we know, the streets are known for breeding all sorts of criminals and other social misfits who constitute the real threat such as armed robbers, thugs, drug abusers, drunkards, prostitutes and all other social ills that give a bad name to society.
Jerome-Mario Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy) at Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via [email protected]/08032725374.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A student of Adedokun International Schools, Ota, Ogun State, Saint Riman, has emerged as the overall winner of the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition.
The 16-year-old student was crowned Nigeria’s Best STEM Student, receiving a N15 million scholarship in the InterswitchSPAK 7.0 grand finale.
InterswitchSPAK is the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies.
The programme is Nigeria’s largest STEM competition for senior secondary school students. It concluded on a high note after months of nationwide assessments, problem-solving challenges, and competitive stages involving over 18,000 registered participants.
Business Post reports that David Okorie of Caleb International College, Magodo, Lagos State, was the first runner-up, getting N10 million in scholarship, while David Solomonezemma of Deeper Life High School, Enugu State, was the second runner-up, bagging a N5 million scholarship. All winners also received brand-new laptops in addition to other exciting prizes.
While presenting the awards, the Group Marketing and Communications for Interswitch, Ms Cherry Eromosele, commended the students for their discipline, resilience, and exceptional intellectual performance.
“InterswitchSPAK was created to inspire and reward excellence in STEM education while equipping young Africans with the skills to tackle real-world challenges.
“These winners have demonstrated remarkable promise, and by supporting their education, we are reaffirming our belief in the power of young people to shape Africa’s future through innovation and science,” Ms Eromosele said.
Beyond the top three winners, other finalists received brand new laptops and exciting cash rewards for outstanding performance, alongside their teachers who were also celebrated and rewarded for their critical role in nurturing talent. This holistic approach reinforces Interswitch’s commitment to sustainable educational development through collaboration between students, educators, and institutions.
Now in its seventh year, InterswitchSPAK has become a highly respected platform, serving as a pipeline for discovering, developing, and empowering the next generation of scientists, engineers, technologists, and innovators. Through this initiative, Interswitch continues to highlight how strategic private sector investment in education can drive innovation, reward merit, and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The successful conclusion of InterswitchSPAK 7.0 underscores Interswitch’s leadership in advancing STEM education as a catalyst for socio-economic growth, preparing Nigerian students to compete confidently on the global stage while shaping Africa’s innovation-driven future.
By Dipo Olowookere
A Zurich-based anti-chatbot edtech firm, Sparkli, has secured about $5 million pre-seed round for its generative learning engine designed to turn screen time into active learning expeditions that foster agency, curiosity, and future-ready skills.
The pre-seed round will allow Sparkli to scale its generative learning engine and prepare for a private beta launch in January 2026. The company is currently validating its platform through a strategic pilot with one of the world’s largest private school groups.
This partnership provides Sparkli with a powerful testing ground across a network of more than 100 schools and over 100,000 students.
Sparkli transforms the curiosities of children into multi-disciplinary, real-life journeys that foster future-ready skills, including technology, design thinking, sustainability, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, and global awareness.
The company is already positioning itself to disrupt the $7 trillion global education market, a sector widely predicted to be one of the most significant use cases for artificial intelligence.
Its approach is shaped by three shifts essential for modern childhood education, a strategy designed to solve the ‘Agency and Curiosity Gap’. First, it forces a Velocity Shift by moving away from static curriculums to real-time relevance where children explore new topics the moment they emerge.
Second, it drives an Engagement Shift by replacing the dry ‘AI chatbot wall of text’ and passive screen time (watching videos, playing video games) with a multimodal playground of visuals, voice, and playable simulations. This turns consumption into active, gamified inquiry rooted in educational value.
Finally, Sparkli prioritizes a Skills Shift that focuses on capabilities such as creativity and complex problem solving rather than memorization.
“Our goal is to build agency in the next generation. Children learn by exploring, making choices, asking questions, and discovering what inspires them. Sparkli turns screen time into a place where curiosity grows rather than fades,” the chief executive of Sparkli, Mr Lax Poojary, said.
One of the funders, Lukas Weder of Founderful, said, “Sparkli represents a step change in how children can interact with knowledge.
“The team is applying high caliber engineering and thoughtful pedagogy to a space that desperately needs innovation. Their traction with schools shows a real appetite for tools that foster curiosity and agency rather than passive consumption.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed N161.97 billion to 864,798 students nationwide since the inauguration of its student loan portal on July 17, 2024, as part of efforts to expand access to tertiary education.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, while briefing journalists on the progress, impact and challenges of the scheme under the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, said it was established to ensure that no Nigerian student was denied education because of financial constraints.
According to him, the fund has so far received 1,361,011 loan applications from students across the country.
He explained that out of the N161.97 billion disbursed, N89.94 billion was paid directly to 263 tertiary institutions to cover tuition and institutional charges, while N72.03 billion was paid to students as upkeep allowances.
“As at today, 1,361,011 applications have been received, 864,798 students have so far benefited from the loan scheme, and total disbursement stands at N161.97 billion.
“These includes N89.94 billion paid directly to 263 tertiary institutions for tuition and institutional fees, and N72.03 billion paid directly to students as upkeep allowances,” he said.
He noted that the figures represented tangible impact on students and families, describing them as evidence of barriers being removed and opportunities being created.
The NELFUND boss said the agency, had over the last year, embarked on extensive sensitisation across tertiary institutions to improve awareness and access to the scheme.
He added that the focus would now expand to parents, guardians, traditional rulers and faith-based institutions.
He said this new approach was to deepen public understanding and trust in the scheme.
“Over the last year, NELFUND has undertaken extensive sensitisation and engagement across tertiary institutions nationwide.
“We have worked directly with students, school authorities, and stakeholders to drive awareness, understanding, and access to the scheme.
“However, as we move into this new phase, we recognise that deepening impact requires broader engagement.
“So this year, our focus will expand to another very important group within the NELFUND ecosystem,” he said.
On upkeep payments, the managing director disclosed that a reconciliation exercise carried out after the 2024/2025 academic session revealed that 11,685 students had outstanding upkeep payments amounting to N927.98 million.
He clarified that the outstanding payments were not due to withheld funds or policy failure, but resulted from technical and operational issues.
He said such issues include network downtime, failed transactions and unvalidated bank account details.
He also said that the NELFUND management had approved a one-time reconciliation process to resolve the cases, including direct engagement with affected students.
He further said that a grace period for updating bank details, multi-layer validation and prompt payment upon verification had also been approved.
Responding to questions on sustainability, Mr Sawyerr said that the amended student loan law removal of guarantor requirements, inclusion of upkeep allowances and the ability to raise and invest funds were key elements supporting long-term sustainability.
He added that NELFUND was also exploring partnerships with philanthropists, corporate organisations and government agencies, citing a N20 billion collaboration with the Ministry of Education on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as an example.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Operations, NELFUND, Mr Mustapha Iyal, said that outstanding upkeep represented about 11,000 out of more than 400,000 beneficiaries in the 2024/2025 session.
Mr Iyal said NELFUND had contacted institutions to validate student data, noting that many of the issues arose from incorrect information supplied by applicants.
According to him, feedback has been received from over 100 institutions, and payment of the outstanding upkeep allowances is expected to commence shortly.
He also disclosed that applications for the 2025/2026 academic session began in November, 2025, with over 200 institutions submitting updated data.
He said about 280,000 applications had been received from those institutions, out of which loans had already been disbursed to more than 150,000 students.
He added that upkeep payments for the new session would begin in January, explaining that upkeep allowances were tied to active academic sessions and required fresh applications each session.
On loan repayment, Mr Iyal said repayment had already commenced, with some beneficiaries who had graduated and secured employment beginning to repay their loans.
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