Despite being fully paid and missing classes due to a visa issue, Middlesex University, Mauritius, insists Nigerian law student Michael Adelani graduate in 2027 instead of his original 2025 or desired 2026 date

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]iddlesex University, Mauritius, has reportedly insisted on a 2027 graduation date for Michael Adelani, a Nigerian law student who has faced significant academic disruption due to an unresolved visa issue at the institution.

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This new development was disclosed by Adelani himself in a telephone interview on Thursday, May 29, 2025, with FIJ.

Adelani revealed he had a Zoom meeting with university officials who claimed they wanted to “support” him. However, despite this stated intent, they maintained their stance on a 2027 graduation year.

“I find it unacceptable because I was supposed to graduate in 2025, and that’s not even possible anymore. Rather than allow me to graduate in 2026, however, they are insisting on a 2027 graduation year,” Adelani expressed his frustration.

His dismay is compounded by the university’s decision to validate the academic years he spent at home, despite him missing most of his classes and key assignments due to the circumstances.

Crucially, the school also insisted on full fees payment, which Adelani confirmed was met. “They were fully paid, yet they won’t allow me graduate in 2026,” he reiterated.

This latest development follows a detailed report published by FIJ on May 18, which chronicled how the institution allegedly frustrated Adelani, ultimately forcing him to cease studies on its Mauritius campus due to a persistent visa-related problem.

The ordeal began when Adelani discovered his student visa had expired while he was preparing for a job interview in June 2023.

He immediately reported the lapse to school officials, who subsequently permitted him to travel to Nigeria to get his visa renewed and dispatch a copy to the school as proof.

However, after facing multiple challenges, including temporary detention at a Mauritius airport, he returned to Nigeria later that same year.

When the Nigerian student prepared to resume school in September 2023 for a new session, he made a payment of £3,100, representing 60 percent of the tuition for the 2023/2024 academic year, to Middlesex University.

Despite this payment, Adelani’s visa renewal issue was not promptly resolved by the university, preventing his return to Mauritius for in-person classes.

find it unacceptable because I was supposed to graduate in 2025, and that’s not even possible anymore. Rather than allow me to graduate in 2026, however, they are insisting on a 2027 graduation year.

Consequently, Adelani was initially forced to attend classes online. However, the situation worsened when, on October 22, 2023, the university sent him a letter instructing him to defer his studies, citing that the institution “no longer supported online class access for international students.” Days later, his access to online classes was completely cut off by the school.

This prompted Adelani’s parents to question why the university had accepted a new tuition payment if online classes were no longer permissible for international students.

Subsequently, Middlesex University allegedly ceased all direct communication with Adelani, limiting his access solely to the school’s students’ portal, where he continued to submit assignments and watch recorded classes.

This effective communication blackout and limited access led to a significant stagnation in his studies, as he was unable to fully participate in all academic activities.

When FIJ previously reached out to Middlesex University for a reaction, Phil Barter, the institution’s academic director, provided a response stating: “We cannot comment on the details of individual student cases as we are bound by confidentiality rules. However, we can confirm that visa approvals and immigration status rests with the authorities who are subject to policies governed by the country’s laws. The University cannot determine the outcome of these processes.”

At the time of that initial report, Adelani had already paid a total of £9,153 in school fees for his academic sessions.

Despite the myriad of troubles he had faced, he had held onto hope that he would still be able to graduate from Middlesex University as early as 2026.