Teesside University in the UK has unveiled a new initiative aimed at aiding Nigerian students grappling with severe financial strains. This move, as per BBC’s report on Tuesday, pledges to cover the flight expenses for these students to return home.
The decision was prompted by the distressing plight of several students who faced expulsion from their courses and were instructed to leave the UK due to their inability to settle tuition fees. The financial turmoil in Nigeria, compounded by the university’s transition from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment structure, left many students struggling to make ends meet.
Local food assistance organizations revealed that a staggering 75% of their beneficiaries are Nigerian students, underscoring the dire financial challenges they confront.
On May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University found themselves ousted from their courses and mandated to depart the UK due to challenges in meeting tuition deadlines. These students cited the devaluation of the naira as a major hindrance, resulting in a breach of their visa sponsorship terms.
Numerous students reported being locked out of their university accounts and flagged to the Home Office, compelling them to leave the country. The university asserted that stringent external regulations necessitated these measures.
Expressing profound distress and disillusionment, the affected students, numbering 60, criticized the university for what they deemed as a lack of support and compassion. They rallied together, appealing to the university for assistance after witnessing their peers endure severe repercussions for late payments.
On May 29, 2024, the Federal Government intervened to address deportation orders issued against certain Nigerian students at Teesside University. A delegation, led by Ambassador Christian Okeke from the Nigerian Embassy in the UK and representatives of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, engaged with the university’s management to seek a resolution.
Following protests and governmental intervention, the university reinstated some affected students and established a relief fund. “We are collaborating with a select group needing to return to their home country and initiating an international relief fund to provide additional financial aid for these unforeseen travel expenses,” stated a university spokesperson to the BBC.
