The journey to securing admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions is becoming an increasingly challenging financial burden on many families. Education should be the cornerstone of technological advancement, industrialisation, and development in any forward-thinking economy. However, with the current economic hardships, the barriers for young Nigerians seeking higher education are mounting, and the financial strain on parents is a pressing issue.
Recently, I shared my thoughts on the apparent exploitation faced by Nigerian parents and candidates. Securing admission into universities requires navigating a series of hurdles, including two separate entrance exams: the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and the institution-specific Post-UTME exams. These duplicate processes impose additional costs and complications, making one question their necessity and the financial burden they add.
Today, however, I want to focus on another contentious aspect: the acceptance fee that parents are required to pay once their child is offered admission. From a rational perspective, acceptance fees appear as an unnecessary, exploitative charge imposed by institutions. For parents already struggling with other educational expenses—tuition, accommodation, and upkeep—the additional fee of acceptance can feel excessive and unfair. In a country where government support for education is minimal, families are already stretched thin, financing their children’s education without any meaningful assistance. It is unjustifiable to place an additional financial demand on these parents simply to formalize an admission that has already been granted.
From an accounting perspective, acceptance fees serve no unique or valuable purpose in the education financing process. They do not contribute to the academic experience of students or the quality of education provided. Instead, these fees feel like a redundant charge that universities impose without accountability. It is essential to note that Nigeria is not alone in providing undergraduate education, yet many other countries, including some African nations, do not require such fees. If these countries can provide quality education without acceptance fees, why should Nigerian institutions continue this financial burden on families?
In the course of a student’s academic journey, parents in Nigeria already bear significant costs: they pay for WAEC and JAMB registration and results, purchase PIN codes for result access, and sometimes pay additional fees for course changes and institution transfers. With the costs of living rising, many Nigerian families are asking a vital question: should the desire to educate one’s children lead to financial hardship or even health risks for struggling parents?
In developed countries like the United States, Canada, the UK, and Ukraine, acceptance fees are not a part of the admission process. When a student is accepted into a university, the institution welcomes them without demanding extra payment simply for the opportunity to enroll. Instead, these countries focus on making education accessible and affordable. Nigerian institutions would do well to follow this example, prioritising students’ education over additional revenue generation from their families.
It is time for the Federal Government and its educational agencies to review and abolish acceptance fees in Nigeria. Doing so would help reduce the financial burden on families and ensure that more young Nigerians have a fair opportunity to pursue higher education. The primary focus of tertiary institutions should be on delivering quality education and fostering academic growth, not on creating additional hurdles for already overburdened parents.
Let’s put an end to this practice of acceptance fees and make Nigerian education more accessible to all. This is a call to our educational policymakers to reconsider the fees and make university admission more affordable for families nationwide. Education is a right, not a privilege. Let’s ensure that Nigerian parents and students are not priced out of a brighter future.
•Okafor Luke works in the Ministry of Defence, Nigeria