University Of Nigeria Denies Claims Of Stranded Postgraduate Students, Says Hostels Maintenance Caused Delay
The university explained that it is standard procedure for all students to vacate hostels at the end of every academic session to allow for fumigation, renovation and other maintenance works.
The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) has denied allegations that it abandoned postgraduate students without accommodation, insisting that the claims circulating in some quarters are “misleading and inaccurate.”
SaharaReporters on February 11 reported that dozens of postgraduate students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) are reportedly sleeping in open spaces and abandoned buildings after the university shut down its postgraduate hostels in November 2025, citing planned renovations that have yet to commence.
Affected students say more than three months after the closure, no visible renovation work has taken place, while academic activities continue uninterrupted — leaving many stranded without accommodation.
However, in a statement issued on February 13, 2026, signed by the acting Public Relations Officer, Inya Agha Egwu, the university said the narrative that postgraduate students were stranded due to lack of hostel space does not reflect the true situation on campus.
The university explained that it is standard procedure for all students to vacate hostels at the end of every academic session to allow for fumigation, renovation and other maintenance works.
“It is customary that at the end of every academic session, all students are required to vacate the hostels to enable the University carry out routine maintenance, including fumigation, renovations and general repairs,” the statement read.
According to the management, all hostels — including Odili Hall, designated for postgraduate students — were shut in November/December 2025 following the conclusion of the 2024/2025 academic session.
The institution further clarified that hostel accommodation is not automatic and is subject to payment of approved service charges for the new academic year.
“The College of Postgraduate Studies commenced the 2025/2026 academic session in January 2026, but the opening of the postgraduate fee payment portal experienced a temporary delay due to considerations by the University Governing Council regarding appropriate service charges,” the statement said.
The management added that the payment portal has now been opened, enabling both fresh and returning postgraduate students to pay the approved charges and apply for accommodation.
Dismissing reports that students were left without support, the university claimed that temporary accommodation had been made available upon request from the start of the session.
“Contrary to claims that students were left without support, the Directorate of Accommodation and Housing has, from the beginning of the session, made temporary accommodation available to new and returning postgraduate students upon request,” the statement noted.
The university maintained that the situation resulted from routine administrative and maintenance processes, not deliberate neglect.
It also stated that allocation of bed spaces in the postgraduate hostel would be done on a first-come, first-served basis, stressing that only students who have paid the approved 2025/2026 charges are eligible to apply.
The management urged members of the public to disregard what it described as a “false narrative” and seek clarification through official university channels.
