Adebayo Afolabi Victor fought the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) for nearly two decades. He sued his alma mater after graduating with a Second Class Lower Division in Mechanical Engineering in 2007, believing he deserved a higher degree, and he won.
Victor believed errors in the marking and recording of at least 10 courses denied him a Second Class Upper. After persistent complaints from him to the school were ignored, he took the university to court as a self-represented litigant.
In the groundbreaking 2025/2026 Supreme Court ruling (Victor v. F.U.T.A. (2026) 8 NWLR (Pt. 2044) 33), he won, following independent re-marking. His result was upgraded to a Second Class Upper Division, and he was awarded ₦20 million in damages (₦18 million general damages plus ₦2 million legal costs). 
While Victor’s persistence and ultimate triumph deserve celebration, his case is far from isolated. It exposes a culture of poor accountability in examination processes across many Nigerian public universities.
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No Proper Checks and Balances in Examination Processes
Nigerian public universities often operate with significant academic autonomy, which is necessary for institutional independence. However, this autonomy frequently boils down to a lack of transparency, timely redress mechanisms, and genuine accountability when students raise legitimate concerns about their results. The FUTA Supreme Court ruling shows just that.
Nigerian students complain of and pray against issues like:
• Missing or unrecorded scripts and Continuous Assessment (CA) scores.
• Errors in grade computation and result compilation.
• Prolonged delays in result processing and release, sometimes stretching years after graduation.
• Resistance to re-marking requests, with strenuous procedures that discourage students.
• Inadequate record-keeping systems that make verification difficult.
These issues are recurring features of a system where students often feel powerless. Many graduates report spending months or years chasing transcripts, statements of results, or corrections. These sometimes even lead to delays that cost scholarships, job opportunities, and NYSC mobilisation.
Victor’s case succeeded only because of his extraordinary 19-year resilience and eventual judicial intervention. Most students lack the time, resources, or legal knowledge to follow such a path.
SEE ALSO: To the Students We Never See Again After Results Come Out
The Human and National Cost
When universities fail to handle examinations with transparency and accountability, talented students graduate with undervalued degrees. This, in turn, limits career prospects.
Public confidence in higher education will continue to erode if the kind of issues Victor experienced are what students continue to face, which will affect graduate employability and national development.
In addition, the FUTA Supreme Court ruling shows the possible emotional and financial toll on students and families. Victor spent 19 years fighting for what he had already worked for and earned.
This environment undoubtedly intersects with wider problems like examination malpractice. However, administrative negligence in legitimate grading is equally damaging to the system’s credibility.
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