A biochemistry student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has stirred controversy after a video surfaced showing him defending his Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) placement with NeoLife International, raising questions about the suitability of the company for science based industrial training.
The issue came to public attention following the student’s SIWES report presentation on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, which has since generated widespread discussion across social media platforms.
In the video, the student, dressed in the customary white laboratory coat of the university’s Biochemistry Department, is seen standing before lecturers and fellow students while explaining his industrial training experience. Members of the academic panel are heard questioning him on the skills and knowledge he claimed to have acquired during the programme.
The development has revived long standing criticism of NeoLife’s engagement with students, amid allegations that the organisation recruits undergraduates into its activities in ways that may distract them from their academic responsibilities. Observers have also questioned the appropriateness of such placements for science based disciplines, particularly biochemistry, which typically requires laboratory intensive exposure under established SIWES guidelines.
Reacting to the incident, Arojinle, a wildlife conservationist and researcher who has previously expressed concerns about NeoLife’s presence on university campuses, voiced strong reservations. Writing on his social media handle, @arojinle1, he said the episode reinforced earlier warnings about the company’s influence on students.
“People do not realise how deeply some students become indoctrinated to the point of considering NeoLife as a suitable place for industrial training,” he wrote. “Whenever concerns are raised about students being diverted from their academics and absorbed into NeoLife activities, such claims are dismissed. This incident suggests the situation is worsening.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither the FUTA Biochemistry Department nor the university management had issued an official statement on the circulating video or clarified whether the NeoLife placement complied with approved SIWES requirements for biochemistry students.
The episode has once again brought to the fore broader concerns about industrial training standards in Nigerian universities, with stakeholders emphasising the need for SIWES placements to align strictly with students’ fields of study to ensure meaningful academic and professional development.