How to Apply for Deferment or Leave of Absence at a Nigerian University
By Muntasir • Published Dec 22, 2025 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Education Planning
Leave of absence and deferment both let you pause your studies without losing your admission, but they apply at different points in the session and each carries its own maximum duration.
📩 Apply for leave of absence before you register for the session; apply for deferment after you register but before exams.
⏱️ Most universities grant leave for one academic session at a time, renewable for a limited extra period.
🎓 There is a cap on how many years of leave you take across your entire programme.
🏠 You return to the same level you left, which is one level behind your original entering set.
Leave of Absence vs Deferment
Nigerian universities distinguish between two related but separate processes. Leave of absence is a request you submit before registering for a session, when you already know you will not attend. Deferment is a request you submit after you have registered, once the session is underway, typically because something changed partway through.
At the University of Lagos , both fall under the same academic affairs process but are logged differently depending on the timing of your request.
Valid Reasons Universities Accept
Financial difficulty that prevents you from paying fees or continuing.
Confirmed medical cases, especially serious or long-term illness.
Family emergencies or bereavement.
Other documented circumstances your faculty accepts as genuine.
Universities reject casual requests without documentation. Bring medical reports, an admission letter to another programme, or other paperwork that supports your reason.
Step-by-Step Process
Write a formal application addressed to the Vice Chancellor or Academic Registrar, through your Head of Department and Dean.
State your reason clearly and attach supporting documents.
Submit the application to your Faculty Officer, who forwards it through the required approval chain.
Wait for a written letter of approval or disapproval. Don't treat the request as approved until you have this letter in hand.
Keep a copy of the approval letter. You need it when you apply to resume.
Contact your faculty office directly for the exact forms, since the format and internal approval chain differ by faculty even within the same university.
How Long You Stay Away
At UNILAG, leave of absence is normally granted for one academic session at a time, with a possible extension of one further year for good reason, but you reapply for each extension rather than assume automatic renewal. The university caps total leave of absence across your whole programme at three years. Other Nigerian universities set their own limits, so check your own institution's student handbook rather than assume these figures apply everywhere.
Effect on Your Matriculation Year and Graduation
When you return from leave or deferment, you rejoin the class one level behind the one you originally started with, not the class you left. Your matriculation number and admission year stay the same, but your expected graduation date moves back by however long you were away. Course requirements also change while you are away if your department updates its curriculum, so confirm which version applies to you when you resume.
Resuming Your Studies
You need a separate re-absorption or resumption application once your leave period ends. Submit it before the new session begins, since spaces and hostel allocation are easier to secure early. Bring your original approval letter, your student ID, and any documents your faculty requires to confirm you are cleared to return.
Before You Apply
Check whether your scholarship, if you have one, allows a pause. Some funders discontinue funding when you defer, even where the university approves the leave. If you hold a loan such as NELFUND, contact them directly too, since a university-approved deferment does not automatically update a lender's records.