|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Recently, a viral memo began circulating on social media in Nigeria, with speculation that the Federal University Dutse (FUD), Northwest Nigeria, has set 25% as its new benchmark for the concessional pass in the school.
Under Nigeria’s education system, a concessional pass is a special grade awarded to a student who, although narrowly failing a course, demonstrated adequate academic merit to be allowed to progress.
Also known as a conceded pass, it is a grading policy aimed at helping students avoid being withdrawn, usually at the end of their academic year at a tertiary institution.
Announcing the development, Bappa Shamsudeen, who wrote on behalf of the registrar of FUD, noted that the senate approved 25 marks as the minimum obtainable for the award of a concessional pass at a meeting held on Dec. 23, 2025.
Noting that the decision was taken to ensure uniformity across all its faculties, Bappa said it is “observed that some students do not attend lectures, deliberately refusing to write Continuous Assessment tests (CA), and in some cases, do not sit for examinations, apparently under the assumption that they will automatically be granted Concessional Pass.”
“This behaviour contravenes Senate guidelines and undermines academic standards. Henceforth, students should clearly note that effective from the 2025/2026 academic session, only students who score 25marks and above will be considered for a concessional pass,” the memo stated.
While some internet users opine that this decision may not align with international standards or at least the regulatory requirements of the country’s National University Commission (NUC), others are worried about how it would portray Nigeria among a comity of nations globally, where academic excellence is prioritised.
DUBAWA contacted Abdullah Anaka, the FUD’s director of public affairs, to inquire about the university management’s stance on the decision.
What we mean by that decision — University official
Reacting to the controversies, Abdullah said in a statement on Tuesday that concerned Nigerians have misconstrued the circular. He noted that the pass mark in FUD remains 40-44, in line with NUC’s Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS).
DUBAWA checked and found reports indicating that Nigeria uses a grading system of 40–44 as Pass [represented by E] for undergraduate students. See here, here, and here.
He noted that the NUC is regulating the grading system in the university community, as is the case in all other citadels of learning in the West African nation.
“A concessional pass comes at the last semester of spill 2 (at the end of his residency) if he still has one outstanding course. It is on that outstanding course that this concessional pass applies under these conditions,” the statement read in part.
According to the statement, he explained that the conditions are: a student must have registered for the course; must have attended the lectures (75% attendance); must have written the tests and CAs; and must have written the examination.
“If he is able to score at least 25% on THAT SINGLE course, which he has written several times, then the university Senate grants him a concessional pass on that single course. If it is more than one course, then the student is automatically withdrawn.”
