ABU Senate Grants Amnesty to Students Who Exceeded Residency Limits

Ahmadu Bello University Senate has approved amnesty for students who exceeded maximum residency periods but still have outstanding courses preventing graduation.

The decision provides a second chance for affected students to complete their degrees without reapplication or additional penalties.

Who Qualifies for Amnesty

The amnesty covers students who overstayed during the 2021/2022 and 2023/2024 academic sessions. These are students who remained beyond the university's maximum residency limits while attempting to complete degree requirements.

Nigerian universities typically set maximum study durations - often 150% of normal program length. Students who exceed these limits due to failed courses or repeated semesters face withdrawal unless granted extensions or amnesty.

What the Amnesty Allows

Eligible students can register for their pending courses without going through fresh admission procedures. This streamlined process saves time and eliminates reapplication fees.

The amnesty waives penalties that overstayed students typically face. Instead of restarting the entire program, you can simply complete remaining course requirements.

Registration Windows

Students must register for outstanding courses during either the second semester of 2024/2025 or the first semester of 2025/2026.

This dual-window approach provides flexibility. If you cannot register in the second semester due to course availability or personal circumstances, you have a second opportunity in the following semester.

How to Utilize This Amnesty

Contact your department immediately to confirm which courses remain incomplete. Some departments maintain better records than others, so verify your outstanding requirements officially.

Check course availability for the registration periods. Some courses may only run in specific semesters, affecting when you can complete requirements.

Resolve any financial clearances. While the amnesty waives academic penalties, you still need to clear outstanding fees before registration.

Why Students Overstay

Multiple factors cause residency limit violations: financial difficulties forcing semester interruptions, health issues requiring medical breaks, repeated course failures, or administrative delays in processing results.

The amnesty recognizes that some overstays result from circumstances beyond student control rather than academic negligence.

Avoiding Future Residency Issues

Current students should track their academic progress carefully. Monitor how many semesters you've been registered relative to your program's maximum duration.

Address failed courses immediately rather than postponing retakes. Accumulated failures become increasingly difficult to resolve as residency limits approach.

For students at all levels, Ulearngo provides study materials and practice resources.

Source: Ahmadu Bello University Senate