Parents and students have raised concerns over the travel demands and financial strain linked to post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (post-UTME) screenings in Nigerian universities.
Many families say the requirement to appear physically at campuses has exposed candidates and their guardians to long, risky journeys, in addition to rising fees for screening, acceptance, and clearance.
Mr. Fred Ugochukwu, a parent from Imo State living in Kaduna, recounted his experience during the University of Ilorin’s post-UTME between September 1 and 4. He said he abandoned work to accompany his two children to Ilorin.
“We left a day before the screening commenced. The journey was tedious and risky because of the bad state of the road and reports of kidnapping along the Birnin-Gwari axis. Another harrowing experience was securing accommodation around the campus, because no provision was made for the candidates. I had to pay through the nose to secure the hotel accommodation where we stayed for the two days, as well as our food,” he said.
He added that parents were left without proper shelter during the exercise.
“The parents who came in their thousands had to take shelter under trees and sat on bare floor, while the screening lasted. At the end of the exercise and the harrowing experiences, neither of my two children met the cut-off point set by the school. The hurdles are just too much. My money, the risks and the sacrifices, all gone in vain,” Ugochukwu said.
No fewer than 21,950 candidates took part in the screening, which covered 20,220 UTME and 1,751 Direct Entry applicants. The University of Ilorin had announced that only 13,000 admission slots were available, based on its quota.
Similar concerns were shared by other parents. Mr. Beyioku Ogundipe recalled the difficulty his family faced in 2024 when his two children’s screenings at different universities fell on the same date.
“While I took my son to the University of Lagos, my wife also sacrificed to take our daughter to the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the same day. The financial burden and the risk to the family are just too much. The government must take the bold step to stop the unnecessary duplication of the admission process and make it seamless,” he said.
Another parent, Mrs. Antonia Idachaba, narrated a trip to the South-East in 2024 for her daughter’s post-UTME. She described how the vehicle broke down in a remote area.
“We were in that lonely area till evening before the driver got a mechanic to fix the vehicle. We got to our destination around 3 a.m. the following morning. The stress of getting hotel accommodation to stay was another challenging episode,” she said.
Parents have urged the government to adopt online screening to reduce both travel risks and costs. They pointed to institutions such as the Federal University, Lafia, and Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, which already conduct screenings without requiring travel.
Education experts have also warned about the implications of the current system. A retired Director of Quality Assurance in the FCT, Mr. Salihu Yahaya, said the cost of fees and travel could shut out children from poor and middle-income families.
He also highlighted the shortage of Computer-Based Test centres, most of which are privately owned, forcing candidates to travel long distances. He advised government investment in more CBT centres to reduce pressure on students.
The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria also acknowledged the financial and logistical burdens while stressing that post-UTME exams remain an important assessment tool. Its president, Prof. Boniface Odeh, called for reforms to reduce the strain.
“Ultimately, we need solutions that balance quality assurance with the urgent need to ease the financial burden on parents and students,” he said.
With admission processes for 2025 ongoing nationwide, stakeholders have cautioned that unless reforms are introduced, financial and logistical hurdles could worsen access to tertiary education.
