Dr Adebayo Lucas Oluwaseun, an advocate for affordable education in Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Education, and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to abolish what he described as the “fraudulent and exploitative” practice of taking acceptance fees in Nigerian universities.
In his open letter titled “Stop the Fraudulent ‘Acceptance Fee’ in Our Universities,” Lucas described the fee as “one of the most shameful and exploitative practices currently plaguing our education system.”
He pointed out that students who secure admission on merit are being compelled to pay between ₦50,000 and ₦150,000 merely for the “privilege” of being accepted into a course. According to him, the acceptance fee amounts to “extortion” and “legalised admission racketeering”, a practice he noted did not exist in the past.
The letter emphasised that the said exploitative fee is particularly harmful in a country struggling with poverty, unemployment, and economic hardship. Lucas warned that many brilliant but underprivileged students are being denied the opportunity to pursue higher education simply because they cannot afford the fees.
