Students from no fewer than 23 public universities and polytechnics have expressed frustration over the delayed disbursement of their approved institutional loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), as tuition deadlines and examinations approach.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Students Loan (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act into law on April 3, 2024, to provide sustainable higher education funding for Nigerian students.
Since its commencement, NELFUND has received 364,042 applications and disbursed over N20 billion for institutional fees, benefiting nearly 193,000 students.
An additional N12.8 billion has been allocated to support upkeep allowances for 169,114 students.
However, despite these disbursements, many students from institutions including the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Federal University, Lokoja, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) have yet to receive their approved funds.
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PUNCH reported that a University of Maiduguri student, Musty Jr (@JrMusty58254), lamented on social media, “I applied and was verified since August, yet I have received nothing from this initiative. Please, do something for us before next Wednesday. I am in serious financial crisis!”
Similarly, Orji Oyidiya Chukwu (@OyidiyaOrji) tweeted, “@NELFUND, my brother hasn’t received either the upkeep money or the institutional fees, and his school (UNIZIK) is closing its portal on Friday, February 14. Please, help!”
The delays have caused distress among students who fear being unable to sit for their examinations due to unpaid fees.
A Students’ Union Public Relations Officer at Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Muhammad Nura, warned that failure to meet tuition deadlines could lead to serious academic consequences for affected students.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, a NELFUND official, who preferred anonymity, attributed the delays to universities’ slow responses in verifying students’ data.
“Most times, these issues don’t originate from us. Once we approve the payments, we send the students’ data back to the schools for verification. The schools are then required to confirm the validity of the students and the tuition fees before we proceed. However, many institutions fail to respond promptly. We have to keep sending emails and reminders,” the official said.
