The National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned a directive by the management of Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, requiring students unable to pay tuition fees to defer their academic session, describing the policy as insensitive, against the interest of students, and contrary to the principles of accessible education.

The association demanded an immediate reversal of the policy, warning that it would resist any attempt to deny students, particularly beneficiaries of NELFUND, the opportunity to register and sit their examinations.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National President, Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, NANS faulted the University's position that students who fail to pay their fees or obtain formal approval for deferment would forfeit both the semester and the academic session. The association also criticised the University's decision to bar students who defer without approval, or are absent without authorised deferment, from registering for the next academic session.

NANS argued that the directive undermines the Federal Government's efforts to expand access to higher education through the NELFUND initiative introduced by President Bola Tinubu. According to the association, many of the affected students have already applied for education loans under the scheme, and the University would eventually receive their tuition payments once the funds are disbursed.

The statement described it as inhumane for the Vice Chancellor and the University management to deny students the opportunity to write their examinations despite assurances that NELFUND would disburse the funds in due course. NANS further noted that many institutions have delayed refunding students who paid tuition before receiving NELFUND disbursements, adding that several universities only began processing refunds after sustained pressure from the association.

The student body claimed that more than 5,000 students have been affected by the policy, describing the development as a direct attack on Nigerian students and a negation of the objectives of the Federal Government's education financing initiative. It maintained that no eligible student should be denied access to examinations because of delays associated with the loan scheme.

NANS warned that if the affected students are not allowed to complete their registration and participate in the examinations, the association would mobilise to resist the exercise, insisting that the examinations should not proceed for anyone if the affected students are excluded.

The association called on the University management to immediately reverse the policy and allow all affected students to register and write their examinations, and threatened to relocate its National Secretariat to the Institution if the directive is not withdrawn.