Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a passionate appeal to the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to urgently reopen the school fees payment and course registration portal for at least 48 hours, following the sudden closure of the portal on June 21, 2026, nearly seven weeks before the commencement of first semester examinations scheduled for August 10. The student body described the early closure as a direct attack on President Bola Tinubu's NELFUND initiative, which was designed to make education accessible to all Nigerians amid unprecedented economic hardship. The appeal, contained in a press statement signed by NANS National President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, and dated July 31, 2026, urged the university management to exercise clemency and consideration in the administration of its portal, warning that hundreds of students who were actively working to raise their fees have now been shut out entirely, placing their academic pursuits at serious risk.
The NANS leadership expressed grave concern over the timing of the portal closure, noting that many students and parents across the nation are already stretched by the current phase of economic reforms, with rising inflation, high unemployment, and a cost-of-living crisis that has pushed many families to the brink. "We are at a phase of economic reforms wherein parents and students across the nation are already stretched. It is only patriotic and humane to expect that institutions show some leniency by keeping their portals open long enough to accommodate those still making genuine efforts to raise their fees," the statement read. The student body emphasised that many students who were actively working to raise their fees have now been shut out entirely, placing their academic pursuits at serious risk through no fault of their own.
The controversy stems from a decision by UNILAG management to close the school fees payment and course registration portal on June 21, 2026, despite examinations not being scheduled to commence until August 10, almost one and a half months later. According to multiple student sources, over 400 students are now at risk of missing their first semester examinations, carrying over courses, or spending an extra year in school because they were unable to complete their registration before the deadline. The affected students said many of those impacted were unable to raise the required school fees on time due to the country's worsening economic hardship, and they have appealed to the university's management to urgently reopen the portal.
In its appeal, NANS acknowledged the prerogative of the university management to determine the administration of its own portal but insisted that this right should be exercised with clemency and consideration. "However sound justice may be in principle, it ought never to be devoid of mercy," the statement declared. The student body requested that UNILAG management reopen the portal for payment and registration for at least forty-eight hours to give affected students one last opportunity to complete their registration ahead of the examinations. NANS also called on the university management to urgently reconsider this policy in light of the prevailing economic realities and to act in the most humane way possible so that the concerns of these students do not fall through the cracks.
Under UNILAG's "No Registration, No Examination" policy, students who have not successfully registered their courses are not issued examination dockets, effectively barring them from sitting for their papers. Without the ability to sit for their first semester examinations, affected students could be forced to carry over their courses, delaying their graduation by at least one academic session. The closure of the fees portal has also raised questions about the university's communication and planning, as students were reportedly given a deadline that many could not meet in the current economic climate.
As of Saturday, August 1, 2026, the University of Lagos management had not issued an official response to NANS' appeal. However, the student body has made it clear that it will continue to stand for, advance, and represent the collective will of Nigerian students, ensuring that no Nigerian student is denied access to education. With first semester examinations set to begin in just over a week, the clock is ticking for the hundreds of affected students, who are now hoping that the university will act swiftly to avert what could be a major academic crisis. NANS has urged the management to reopen the portal without further delay, stressing that the issue is not just about policy but about the lives and futures of young Nigerians struggling to stay in school amid economic adversity.
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