It is such a terrible thing that in 2024, schools in Nigeria are still making it their utmost mission to be the weapons fashioned against their alumnus. Case in point, University of Lagos, hereafter referred to as UNILAG..

In normal countries outside Nigeria - UK, US et al, schools make it easy for their alumnus to get their official transcripts sent to any organization or body or THEMSELVES. Yes! They can request for THEIR official transcript to be sent to them. Of course, you pay a fee. All you need to do is go online, request for your transcript, and they send it to you. The important thing is, once you receive it, it is yours.

This is not the case in most, if not all schools in Nigeria. As a student that graduated from UNILAG in 2011, I have had to request for my transcript quite a few times. Each time, I was put through hell! I remember one of my earlier requests for my transcript to be sent to an organization. It took them upwards of 7-8 months with countless visits for this to be done! Imagine wanting to request for your transcript from your school and each time, you shudder just at the thought of the stress you are about to be put through!

UNILAG has made it difficult for their alumnus to have access to their official transcript for some funny reason. Are they any better than the schools who make it easy for their past students? The truth of the fact is, they have made the whole process a massive money making scheme. Each time you need your transcript, you must make a request and pay for it.

This issue could have been a little manageable if students could be able to get their student transcripts. I remember trying to download my student transcript and being unable to. I made a complaint and was eventually directed to where I was told it was only available for students who started school in 2010. In the man's words, "do they (Records office) want to say they are not aware?". So, what is the fate of the millions of alumnus who didn't start school pre-2010?

If a school requests for you to upload your transcript on their portal, UNILAG will tell you to provide the login details of your application on the school's portal so that they can upload the transcript and complete the application. Why? So that you won't be able to have access to it. Isn't it simply ridiculous? Isn't that a breach of privacy?

I had to abandon a couple of applications to some schools some years ago just because of this. The schools stated explicitly that the application will not be successful if you upload a password-protected document. UNILAG requested for the login details of my application on the schools' portals which I provided. They insisted they had to password-protect the document before completing the application.

Of course, they informed me that they could not submit the application (No sh!t. Why would they? ). I told them the document must not be password-protected for the application to be successful. I was told there was nothing they could do and that I should find a way to inform the schools to do something about it. Can you just imagine that? I had to abandon the applications.

It is so sad that UNILAG has turned itself to a principality and power, an evil entity whose sole purpose is to make their alumnus perpetually be at their mercy just to keep making money off them. I have stories of people who have lost opportunities due to all these issues. Just take my case for example.

I could go on and on about this issue but I have to leave it at this. It is time for UNILAG to change! Stop killing peoples' dreams! Make it possible for your alumnus to get their official transcript sent to them without hassle! Life is hard as it is! Don't make it harder!