First-year students at Obafemi Awolowo University must pay ₦16,100 for digital course materials sent to personal mobile money accounts or risk losing access to classes. KEHINDE ADEGOKE reports.
The Notice
On Wednesday, April 2, 2026, at 8:33 PM, the Class Representative sent a message to thousands of first-year students at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, via the admin-only WhatsApp broadcast group.
The message told students to pay for the CHM 102 course manual. Each student must send ₦16,100 with transfer fees to a PalmPay account (details withheld). Students must upload payment proof to a third-party form and send it to another phone number. The message warned: ‘If you don’t follow these steps, your payment won’t be recorded.’
The Pattern Behind it
By itself, the notice might seem administrative. However, sources reveal a pattern: for at least the previous academic year, first-year students at OAU have paid specified amounts for digital course manuals. For example, in the first semester of 2025/2026, CHM 101 costs ₦10,570 per student, PHY 101 costs ₦9,500, and both GST 111 and BIO 101 cost ₦6,000 each. The cost of manuals for other courses is not available at the time of compiling this report, but our investigations so far indicate that this is a widespread issue across the university. In the current second semester, the Chemistry manual costs ₦16,100 per student. Sources stress that this practice is widespread and impacts several other faculties beyond science.
The Arithmetic
The main concern is calculating overall revenue. OAU’s first-year class reportedly exceeds 5,000 students, and across all affected faculties, the total is said to exceed 10,000. If each student pays ₦16,100 for the CHM 102 manual, the total revenue from this fee ranges between ₦80,500,000 (5,000 students × ₦16,100 per student) and ₦161,000,000 (10,000 students × ₦16,100 per student) for one semester. Sources report that the cost of producing and digitally distributing each manual is under ₦500 per student. At the highest estimate of 10,000 students, the margin could mean ₦161,000,000 in revenues with production costs below ₦5,000,000, showing a substantial profit difference.
Imagine over 5,000 students buying digital manuals for ₦16,000 each—for just one semester course!
The Deadline
CHM 102 students had a firm deadline. If they didn’t pay by Monday, April 6, they would not be able to attend Tuesday’s class. Missing a payment meant automatic exclusion from a required course and risked failing attendance and exams.
“Many students would be affected and their future shattered”, one source said, “all because of this type of illegal but legalised extortion by the lecturers.”
The Escalation
The documentation shows that manual charges have climbed steadily. Previously, semester manual fees were about ₦5,000. They increased to ₦10,000 before CHM 101 reached ₦10,570 per student in the first semester 2025/2026, followed by a significant rise to ₦16,100 per student for CHM 102 in the next semester. This ₦5,530 increase amounts to a 52% hike in just six months, and more than triple the earlier costs. Sources also reveal that revenue targets have increased with prices, with current goals as high as ₦20,000,000 per manual.
Sources say extortion is standard at the university. Only recently have some students started to protest because they cannot afford it.
Where the Money Goes
The money does not go to the university. The CHM 102 payment goes to a personal PalmPay account. There is no official OAU bursary, no departmental receipt, and no university collection. Students upload proof to a third-party form and send it to a private number which has not been linked to any lecturer. It’s unclear if the owner is staff, a student intermediary, or someone else.
The Silence of Institutions
The students’ union said it would investigate the issue, but did nothing. ‘Nigerian Factor,’ one source wrote, means there is no accountability. Students joke that lecturers are using the money to buy a Ferrari.
Students and parents feel forced to comply, another source said.
Another source said course representatives get a cut from lecturers and live well on campus. They receive favours from lecturers and profit from this scheme.
ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, officially opposes compulsory handout purchases; its former president publicly stated the practice isn’t allowed, and structures exist to address it. However, at OAU, similar payment demands occur in multiple first-year courses across semesters, involving personal accounts and fees exceeding production costs, leaving students with no real alternative.
No Response
OAU Public Relations Officer Abiodun Olanrewaju did not answer calls or texts. The university has stayed silent. There is no report that the National Universities Commission was notified. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission have not gotten involved. No lecturer has been named, warned, or investigated.
What The Materials Reveal
The materials reveal a scheme enforced by official channels and threats. Students and some sources have spoken out, but institutions allow it.
