Design of a Student Financial Aid Management System for University of Maiduguri, Borno State

Managing student financial aid in Nigerian universities is often opaque, inequitable, and prone to administrative irregularities. This study designs a student financial aid management system for the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Borno State, situated in the North East geopolitical zone, which hosts a significant population of conflict-affected students requiring targeted support. The system was built using Python Flask and a PostgreSQL database, with role-based access for bursary staff, academic officers, and students. The development follows the spiral model, enabling risk assessment at each iteration given the sensitivity of financial data. Features include application submission, eligibility scoring, award approval workflows, disbursement tracking, and reporting dashboards. System testing involved 30 bursary staff and 150 student applicants across two semesters, using both functional and non-functional test criteria. Results demonstrate a 71 percent reduction in processing time per application and a 60 percent decrease in student complaints related to aid disbursement. The study highlights cybersecurity as a priority concern and recommends AES-256 encryption for all stored financial records. This research responds to the under-digitisation of student welfare systems in Nigeria's conflict-affected North East and provides a model for transparent, accountable financial aid administration in similar institutional contexts. Keywords: financial aid management, University of Maiduguri, Flask, student welfare, North East Nigeria