Daud Olatunji
A flurry of testimonies from Nigerian university students on social media has exposed alarming allegations of corruption, harassment, and exploitation within the country’s postgraduate education system.
The viral thread, initially sighted by PLATFORM TIMES, paints a grim picture of the hurdles students face during thesis defenses and other academic milestones.
The allegations reveal a system marred by extortion, coercion, and abuse of power, with students compelled to offer bribes, gifts, and even sexual favors to lecturers and supervisors to advance their studies.
“We Paid for Everything, Even Hotel Bills”
One viral post, titled “On Postgraduate Courses and Thesis Defense in Nigerian Universities – A Thread,” encapsulates the despair of students.
According to Erdoo N., “We had to pay hotel bills for the members of the panel. You could also offer sex if your supervisor is the devil’s apprentice. Transport money inclusive.”
In a similarly harrowing account, Bibian U. recounted witnessing thesis defenses that resembled elaborate social events:
“I decided I’d never have anything else to do with Nigerian universities the day I saw people defending their master’s dissertation presenting coolers of rice, garden eggs, and crates of drinks to their supervisors. I thought someone was getting married.”
Several students reported being financially drained by their postgraduate programs. Chiamaka O. disclosed, “We were told we’d pay 60k each for both entertainment and logistics of the external supervisor.”
For Omekagu, the preparations for a defense included spending the night cooking coolers of rice with assorted meat for lecturers at the University of Ilorin.
Sylvia E. lamented, “We fed the whole department, paid a prior fee of 2k, and still gave my supervisor a gift. This same supervisor then came on one of my Facebook posts to say I’m too opinionated to get married. I blocked him for my peace of mind.”
Some accounts revealed sexual harassment as a disturbing aspect of the academic experience.
Annie U., who abandoned her Master’s programme, alleged, “My supervisor wanted to have sex with me. I told him I’m a married woman.
He said, ‘That’s even better! I like them married.’ No one listened to my report.”
Others spoke of being coerced into bringing personal items to lecturers’ homes. Ruth D. said, “My supervisor demanded I bring half a bag of land snails and later changed my project topic to Catfish. I had to buy and bring some to his house for inspection.
“They Killed My Zeal to Study”
For many, the psychological toll has been immense. Ene P. admitted, “The best thing I ever did for my life and mental health was to abandon my Master’s programme halfway. My blood pressure was always high. Nigerian universities? God forbid!”
Uche N. shared his frustration: “My husband was so frustrated by his Uniuyo supervisor that he abandoned his MBA and finally got it from a UK university without any sort of bribery.”
The testimonies stressed the urgent need for reform in Nigeria’s higher education sector. Corruption, harassment, and systemic inefficiencies have created a hostile academic environment, discouraging intellectual growth and innovation.
One post aptly summed up the plight of postgraduate students:
“We do multiple defenses—proposal, internal, faculty, and the almighty external defense. Multiple seminars too. And refreshment is served at all. I swear, MSc/Ph.D. in Nigeria is the most challenging thing I’ve done in my life.”
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