By: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| NELFUND ans LASU |
Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State University (LASU) has officially extended its course registration portal closure deadline to January 10, a direct response to widespread protests and complaints from students. This administrative shift marks the institution's first major concession following intense pressure over its handling of student finances under the federal loan scheme.
The extension is seen as a critical acknowledgment of the financial strain on parents and guardians in Nigeria’s current economic climate. Critics argue that the university, as a moral authority, breached an ethical code by withholding registration from students whose fees were to be covered by approved government loans. This action, they contend, inflicted undue hardship on families already struggling with rising costs.
“A loan is a temporary relief, not a gift. Why should LASU block students when the funds are legally allocated?” questioned one stakeholder close to the situation. The core demand now pivots from mere extension to immediate refunds, urging LASU to release the loan funds to affected students to ensure their academic progress is uninterrupted.
Related News:
Advocacy groups have pledged to continue monitoring the situation closely, stating that “until justice is done,” agitation for fairness will persist. While the registration extension is a positive first step, it is deemed insufficient without the disbursement of the held funds.
The dispute has drawn attention to a potentially wider systemic issue within Lagos higher education. Reports indicate similar grievances are emerging from other institutions across the state, prompting calls for broader oversight. There is a growing appeal for the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Lagos State Government to scrutinize university administrations, ensuring they do not sabotage the intent of student loan initiatives designed to alleviate economic hardship.
Analysts suggest that mishandling such schemes could have far-reaching political implications, damaging trust in the government’s education reforms and causing disillusionment among the student demographic a key constituency.
As a premier citadel of learning, LASU is now urged to swiftly resolve the crisis, refund the student loans, and restore its reputation for academic excellence and administrative empathy. The university’s subsequent actions will be closely watched as a benchmark for how Nigerian institutions implement federal student support programs during a period of national economic challenge.