During her third year at Bayero University Kano, Rose Daniel, a Mass Communication graduate from the 2014/2015 session, discovered an omission in her student transcript. Despite usually receiving transcripts from their level coordinators at the end of each semester, Rose found her political science exam grade missing,Daily Trust reports.
Upon approaching her level coordinator, Rose confirmed that her B grade in the exam was indeed omitted from the transcript. Despite nearly a year of follow-ups, she was only informed of the correction, without receiving an updated transcript reflecting the change.
Throughout her academic journey, Rose maintained a consistent CGPA, ending her third year with a 3.66. However, upon receiving her final year result, she realized she fell short of an upper second-class honour by 0.05, with her CGPA at 3.45.
Years later, while residing abroad, Rose applied for her transcript and discovered her true CGPA had been 3.70, qualifying her for an upper second-class honour, contrary to the lower second-class honour stated on her certificate.
Upon informing her university, Rose encountered resistance, with the level coordinator insisting that her certificate, not the transcript, was the definitive document. Undeterred, Rose appealed to various university departments, seeking a corrected certificate.
Two years later, with hopes of a positive response, Rose highlighted how the error affected her job opportunities.
Instances like Rose’s shed light on issues prevalent in Nigerian universities’ record-keeping systems. While statistics on such incidents are not publicly available, experts attribute them to poor management practices and inadequate legal frameworks.
Rose’s experience mirrors that of other graduates from various institutions, where administrative delays and errors hinder academic progress and career opportunities.
At Bayero University Kano, delays in transcript issuance impacted Jauro Ahmad’s scholarship application, while Saudat Abdullahi faced grading discrepancies, affecting her academic record.
Similar challenges were observed at University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and Lagos State University (LASU), where graduates like Uche Daniel and Dada David faced delays in receiving their certificates and transcripts, impacting their career prospects.
Even long after graduation, alumni like Muhsin Danladi from University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) faced hurdles in obtaining transcripts due to missing records and administrative inefficiencies.
These issues not only affect individual students but also tarnish the credibility of institutions. Without robust legal frameworks and efficient record-keeping practices, Nigerian universities struggle to uphold academic integrity and meet international standards.
Efforts to digitize records and streamline processes are underway, but until comprehensive reforms are implemented, graduates like Rose and countless others continue to face the consequences of deficient record-keeping in Nigerian higher education.
