UNILAG rescues students stranded in China after social media outcry

The University of Lagos has confirmed the safe return of its students who were stranded in China. The students, participating in a one-year academic exchange program, faced unexpected difficulties when their travel arrangements, involving a 27-hour layover in Qatar, exceeded the country's visa limitations.

“

Please treat as urgent! Who has the contact of Unilag VC, some of their students are currently stranded in a foreign country!!! Please!!!

The situation came to light after a social media user, @Osunwede, widely known as Turah BMG, posted an urgent appeal on X, formerly Twitter. She highlighted that the students, who had paid for their trip, were stuck abroad due to an agent's poor planning of their flight itinerary.

“

She has been contacted. They were to return to Nigeria after a 1 year study in China, a lecturer was in charge (payment was made as at last year). The agent the lecturer used booked a 27hr layover in Qatar. Qatar doesn’t allow more than 24hr layover except you have a visa.

Further details emerged from another X user, @Senatoradeyemi2, who explained that the lecturer in charge of the exchange program had allegedly mishandled funds, leading to the booking of cheap flights with an extended layover. This incompetence, he claimed, resulted in the students being stranded in Shanghai, requiring an additional 15-hour journey to Beijing to secure a flight back to Nigeria.

“

For those that are curious, they are students of Unilag, they went to China for an exchange program. They were meant to have returned to their home country in Nigeria on Monday but because of a lecturer’s negligence and agent which obviously comes to monetary.

Following the online outcry, the University of Lagos Vice-Chancellor intervened. She provided the stranded students with money for food and facilitated their journey home. While the university's swift action was praised, calls were made for disciplinary action against the lecturer responsible for the mismanagement.

“

They are stranded in China. An average Nigerian is wicked, the lecturer instead didn’t manage the funds well and had to put them into the struggle trying to book cheap flights in the case it didn’t work out and now the students are meant to suffer for his incompetence.