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The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has thrown hundreds of students and parents into uncertainty after reducing admissions to its Doctor of Optometry program, raising concerns about transparency and students’ futures.
Sources on X, including Arise Television journalist Oseni Rufai, revealed on Tuesday that UNIBEN originally admitted 350 students for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Parents say their children paid acceptance fees, received official admission letters from both UNIBEN and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and have been attending lectures since November.
Four months into the session, the university reportedly informed students that only 150 would be allowed to remain in the Optometry program due to quota limitations and accreditation constraints.
The remaining 200 students are expected to be transferred to other courses, while some are already being denied clearance for continued study. Exams for the session are scheduled to begin in March.
A concerned parent lamented, “These children did nothing wrong. We paid acceptance fees in good faith, believing our children were properly admitted into Optometry. Now UNIBEN wants to punish them for an obvious administrative failure.”
The parent criticised the lack of clarity on how the 150 students were selected, noting that most students are still unsure about their departmental placement despite ongoing lectures.
The parent added that the situation is affecting students’ mental health, saying, “I cannot watch my child’s dreams and mental health suffer because of irresponsibility from UNIBEN.
“There is no transparency, no respect for students or parents, and due process has been completely ignored.”
AFRIPOST reports that the controversy has sparked broader questions about university admission practices and the handling of quota and accreditation issues in Nigerian higher institutions.
Meanwhile, UNIBEN has not yet issued an official statement regarding the sudden reduction in its Optometry intake.