Beyond the Fees: The Hidden Price of Studying in Nigerian Universities

I have seen students carry burdens they never speak about publicly. Official debates focus on infrastructure, funding and policy. Yet there is another side that rarely appears in reports. In hostels, restaurants, WhatsApp groups and late-night calls with parents, students share stories. Years of hard work and exams give way to whispers of connections, backdoor deals and secret payments. Waiting for admission can feel like running a race someone else has already rigged. Families sacrifice hope and resources for an education that then depends on fees not in any prospectus. This form of corruption does more than empty pockets. It teaches young people that integrity has a price and that systems are negotiable. These lessons follow students into society and fuel a cycle of distrust. Admission is only the start. We will explore survival inside university in part two.

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