Parents kick as MAAUN charges N750,000 for graduation

What should have been a moment of joy for hundreds of graduating students of the Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN), Kano, has instead turned into a bitter dispute involving parents, anti-corruption officials and the courts following the imposition of a N750,000 graduation fee. The fee, described by parents as excessive and exploitative, has […]

What should have been a moment of joy for hundreds of graduating students of the Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN), Kano, has instead turned into a bitter dispute involving parents, anti-corruption officials and the courts following the imposition of a N750,000 graduation fee.

The fee, described by parents as excessive and exploitative, has ignited a storm that now threatens to overshadow the university’s convocation ceremony.

The controversy broke out when final year students reportedly received notices demanding payment of N750,000 as a condition for participation in the university’s convocation and access to key academic documents.

Many parents said they were stunned by the amount, particularly given Nigeria’s current economic hardship.

“For a graduation ceremony, N750,000 is outrageous. We are not refusing to pay legitimate fees, but this is beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians,” a parent told Daily Trust.

The parents alleged that failure to pay the fee could delay the release of students’ results, certificates and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation, claims that heightened anxiety among graduating students eager to move on with their lives.

 

Anti-corruption commission steps in

The complaints attracted the attention of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), which launched an investigation into the matter.

In a directive, the commission ordered MAAUN to suspend the imposition and collection of the N750,000 fee pending the outcome of its probe, and also warned the institution against withholding certificates or NYSC mobilisation on the basis of non-payment.

PCACC officials maintained that while private universities had the right to set fees, making a convocation charge compulsory, especially by tying it to statutory academic documents, raised legal and ethical concerns.

 

University pushes back

MAAUN, however, rejected allegations of any wrongdoing.

A top official of the university, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, argued that as a private institution, MAAUN operated independently and had the legal authority to determine its fees, including convocation charges.

He insisted that the fee was misunderstood and defended the university’s right to proceed with its convocation as scheduled.

“This is a private university; not a public one. Parents were aware of the cost of private education from the beginning.

“As I am talking to you now, more than 80 per cent of the students have paid that money,” he said.

 

Legal battle and court injunction

As tensions escalated, concerned parents took the matter to court, and a Kano State High Court issued an interim order restraining MAAUN from demanding the N750,000 graduation fee. The court also ordered the university not to withhold certificates or NYSC mobilisation from graduating students over the disputed charge.

The ruling was widely seen as a relief for students caught in the middle of the standoff, many of whom feared delays that could affect employment opportunities and national service timelines.

For the students, the controversy has turned what should be a celebratory milestone into a period of uncertainty.

“I just want my certificate and to go for NYSC. We didn’t expect graduation to become this stressful,” a graduating student said.

Some students said they felt powerless, torn between loyalty to their institution and the financial realities faced by their families.

Education analysts note that while private institutions help bridge access gaps left by public universities, weak oversight can expose students and parents to arbitrary charges.

“This case raises fundamental questions. Where does institutional autonomy end, and where does exploitation begin?” an education policy expert, Tijjani Muhammad, told Daily Trust.