The slow pace at which academic records are processed in Nigerian tertiary institutions has sparked growing concern among students, parents, and education stakeholders.
Across several universities, delays by lecturers and university Senates — which serve as the clearing houses for academic results — are reportedly leaving many students stranded long after completing their final examinations.
In some cases, students already mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been recalled over unresolved results from earlier academic sessions. In others, final-year students discover inconsistencies in their records, preventing them from graduating on time.
Investigations by Daily Independent reveal that many affected students remain stuck on campuses months after completing their studies, awaiting clearance or official results.
Sir Temple Ogueri Onyeukwu, a veteran school administrator, voiced his concerns in a recent commentary, warning that these irregularities are devaluing academic standards — including first-class honours — across the system.
He cited the increasing trend of incomplete result declarations at the end of each semester. “Students progress to their final year, only to later discover unresolved issues dating back to their second year,” Onyeukwu lamented.
Reflecting on his own university experience in the early 1980s, he said: “After every semester’s examinations, results were published, and Senate approvals were concluded before the registration of courses for the next semester, especially where prerequisite courses were involved.”
He described the current state of affairs as “troubling,” attributing the delays to negligence by school and course officers. Onyeukwu also criticised university Senates, academic boards, and vice-chancellors for failing to enforce accountability.
Citing a personal example, he shared the case of his niece, who was mobilised for NYSC only to be informed late that she needed to repeat a second-year course. “The lecturer had yet to release the results for a course she completed before entering her final year,” he said.
He questioned why first-semester results are sometimes not published or approved before the second semester begins, despite the academic importance of prerequisite courses. “Vice-chancellors must take control of what is happening in their universities,”
