More than a dozen Nigerian students at the University of Huddersfield have been left unable to continue their studies after their sponsors failed to pay thousands of pounds in tuition fees and living expenses.
Now they plan to lobby the Nigerian High Commission in London to press their case.
University bosses have been trying to help the students but got nowhere with Nigerian authorities.
Kevin Chizi Nwoke, a 21-year-old engineering student, who was due to start his third year next month, said: “It is very disappointing, we have been very good, dedicated students and our tutors have been happy with all our hard work.
“We have played our part.
“It’s not just Nigerian students in Huddersfield who have been affected but others across the country including universities at Leeds and Sussex.
“On Monday around 40 of us will be visiting the Nigerian High Commission in London to protest. We have a clear message: we want our Government to hear our comments.”
A spokesman for the Nigerian Students Society (Huddersfield) said: “Sadly the government agency in Rivers State, Nigeria, responsible for students has not done right by or dealt in a morally just fashion to some, if not all of its scholars and also the institutions where they study, including our own university.
“Fees have been owed for two years and counting, accommodation and living cost not paid in months to students.
“We really hope, the new government in Rivers State can and will urgently save the day for all these students, they didn’t bargain for this, not at all.”
Andrew Mandebura, director of International Development at the university, said: “It is very disappointing that the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency have let their students down.
“We have been dealing with this issue for several months since Christmas. Colleagues from the university have even visited the RSSDA office in Nigeria to try and resolve the situation and we have also contacted them on several occasions in the last month and received sporadic replies but no sign of payments.
“The most worrying aspect in this situation is that the students have not been receiving living expenses which were due to be paid by the sponsor, and some have been evicted from accommodation after months of our Student Union lobbying on their behalf.
“I also wrote to the Nigerian High Commissioner in London to make him aware of these students and their plight and have not received a response.
“Both myself and staff from the International Office have been meeting with the students periodically for the last six weeks to keep them advised of the situation.
“It would be irresponsible of us to keep these students in the UK if they have no means of supporting themselves.
“All things weighed up the best course of action is to allow them to complete this year, suspend their studies and pick up where they left off once their financial issues have been resolved.”
