Agency to process pending requests, upkeep allowance
Fresh applications to begin next week
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the closure of the application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session from today.
The agency said the closure would enable it to conclude the processing of pending applications and upkeep payments.
It said the loan portal will reopen in the second week of October for fresh applications and remain open until January 2026.
NELFUND’s Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr announced this while addressing rporters yesterday in Abuja.
The agency boss also announced the timelines for the 2025/2026 academic cycle, in line with NELFUNDs mandate to expand access to higher education through interest-free student loans.
Sawyerr said: “NELFUND remains committed to removing financial barriers for students and working with institutions to ensure that no eligible student is left behind.
“These timelines provide clarity for students, parents, and institutions to plan ahead and participate fully in the process.”
The managing director directed institutions to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System (SVS) to enable applicants to access the scheme.
He said all unverified applications for 2024/2025 would be automatically cancelled after October 8, adding that affected students would be required to reapply under the new session.
Sawyerr warned that institutions that failed to verify students’ records risk being publicly listed for non-compliance.
Commenting on the upkeep stipends for students, the NELFUND boss explained that payment for the 2024/2025 session would continue until November.
According to him, students are expected to reapply for the 2025/2026 to continue receiving payments.
Sawyerr stressed that the scheme remained interest-free, with repayment to begin two years after the students would have completed their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), while employers would deduct 10 per cent of beneficiaries’ salaries.
The NELFUND managing director expressed concern over arbitrary hikes in tuition and ancillary fees by some institutions.
He said a committee set up by the Minister of Education was working with regulators to harmonise and standardise fee structures nationwide.
Responding to concerns about upkeep stipends, the NELFUND boss said the current N20,000 monthly allowance would not be increased immediately.
Sawyerr announced that an ongoing review of cost-of-living indices across regions could lead to weighted adjustments in the future.
…to process pending loan applications, upkeep allowance
…fresh applications begin second week of Oct.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the closure of the application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session from Tuesday, September 29.
The agency said the closure would allow it to conclude processing of pending applications and upkeep payments.
The organisation said the loan portal will reopen in the second week of October for fresh applications and remain open until January 2026.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, who disclosed this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja, also announced timelines for the 2025/2026 academic cycle, in line with NELFUND’s mandate to expand access to higher education through interest-free student loans.
Sawyerr said, “NELFUND remains committed to removing financial barriers for students and working with institutions to ensure that no eligible student is left behind.
“These timelines provide clarity for students, parents, and institutions to plan and participate fully in the process.”
The NELFUND chief directed institutions to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System (SVS) to enable applicants to access the scheme.
Sawyerr said that all unverified applications for 2024/2025 would be automatically cancelled after Oct. 8, adding that affected students would be required to reapply under the new session.
He warned that institutions that failed to verify students’ records risk being publicly listed for non-compliance.
Speaking on the upkeep stipends, Sawyerr explained that payment for the 2024/2025 session would continue until November, adding that students were expected to reapply for 2025/2026 to continue receiving payments.
He reiterated that the scheme remained interest-free, with repayment to begin two years after completion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), while employers would deduct 10 percent of beneficiaries’ salaries.
Sawyerr also expressed concern over arbitrary hikes in tuition and ancillary fees by some institutions, saying a committee set up by the Minister of Education was working with regulators to harmonise and standardise fee structures nationwide.
In response to concerns about upkeep stipends, the NELFUND chief said the current N20,000 monthly allowance would not be increased immediately.
Sawyerr said that an ongoing review of cost-of-living indices across regions could, however, lead to weighted adjustments in the future.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) initiative, launched by the Federal Government, has received a warm welcome. This enthusiasm is unsurprising, given Nigeria’s longstanding structural challenges. Education has consistently been viewed as a reliable means of escaping poverty and developing communities. This notion has been ingrained over time. Historically, individuals seeking access to post-secondary education had limited government intervention mechanisms at their disposal, relying instead on personal or community fundraising efforts, town unions, and other forms of support to realize their aspirations. The biographies of notable figures, such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, illustrate the utilization of fundraising strategies akin to modern crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe to support his legal education in London. In extreme cases, some individuals resorted to loan sharks, often with disastrous consequences. This underscores the profound desire for education and the pursuit of a brighter future.
The student loan scheme is the beginning of war against poverty, and unacceptable class stratification. It will also avert the looming threat of a society built on low skills, low wages, which is the classic depiction of a not fit for purpose, uncompetitive economy. This policy thrust is designed to avert a looming catastrophe and at the same time, a way to reboot the philosophical base of the political economy. The President is right that we should let the poor breathe. Access to and the funding of education remains the most important way to help the least protected sectors in a country bereft of structured social safety nets.
Over the past fifty years, various loan schemes have been implemented at the state and federal levels. The current structure of NELFUND marks a departure from this approach. Not only does the fund cover tuition, it also provides the student with a monthly stipend. The response has been encouraging, indicating that people have faith in the new framework. Unfortunately, institutional failures have resulted in limited repayment by beneficiaries of previous loan schemes. This was not primarily due to economic downturns but rather a mindset that viewed student loans as entitlement. As time progresses, it will be essential to monitor repayment records, particularly considering economic challenges and job creation issues. It is hoped that as job growth occurs, more individuals will take part in the NELFUND scheme and make prompt repayments.
The policy thrust of the student loan scheme is at the heart of a new economic policy focused on the creation of a new economy which will make the economy more competitive by ensuring that no one is left behind by feeling the potential skills and the human capital pool of society in a bid to make the economy more relevant as well as competitive. A good example here is the Republic of Benin. Benin has leveraged its education thrust on developing its human capital thrust on bringing in foreign exchange. Benin Republic nationals are bringing in hard currency as artisanal workers across West Africa.
With NELFUND, we now can do the same on a deeper scale. Nigeria will use this wider access to plug in into the huge outsourcing market hitherto dominated by Brazil and India counties that do not have the English language skills of Nigeria. This market is about 500 billion dollars! The new policy will widen the talent pool which is always the trajectory of a great leap forward as Brazil, India, China and Malaysia have demonstrated. The social intervention component of paying a stipend of twenty thousand Naira is very important. It not only keeps the recipient in focus, but it triggers off a multiplier across the economy on terms of a multiplier effect on purchasing power parity. This is a masterstroke. Without this added benefit the scheme will not have the desired effect.
We have for a long while had in the international and local markets Real Estate Invest Trusts( REITS), which has helped to deepen the housing markets and closed gaps in access. The new scheme and laudable thrust of the Tinubu government when repayments begin years down the road should produce a Real Education Investment Trust which will be endlessly imitated across the world, unleash talents, create possibilities, make Nigeria competitive and ameliorate class differentials thereby lessening social tensions. It’s a big win! NELFUND should be perceived as an initiative aimed at building a skills-based economy, enhancing national competitiveness in international trade, and mitigating the impact of tariff wars.
However, a concerning trend has emerged. The response to NELFUND has been uneven across geopolitical zones. Notably, the Southwest region, renowned for its strong investment in education, has recorded surprisingly low applications. This disparity must be addressed by authorities, state governments, and local governments in the region. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Southwest would have the highest number of applicants, given its emphasis on education. The fact that this is not the case raises questions and necessitates investigation to rectify the imbalance.
This oversight must not be overlooked, as it has significant implications for sustainable economic development. The Southwest Free Education Program, launched by the Action Group Government in the 1950s, provided the Western Region with a significant momentum, leveraging education to create economic opportunities. The authorities in the Southwest should be concerned, as the region is already facing challenges in capital formation, industrial development, and transitioning medium and large-scale entities into more diversified and competitive entities. The region’s lagging behind in this area is profoundly disturbing and demands immediate attention.
The Southwest, like the rest of Nigeria, faces an education crisis. This crisis stems from the inability to align the education curriculum with future needs, looking ahead 5-20 years. This is tragic, and NELFUND must be utilized to propel a comprehensive revamp of the curriculum and concept of education in the twenty-first century. Fortunately, the Tinubu administration has embarked on a comprehensive new curriculum for secondary education. This must be aligned with revised curriculum for primary education as well. Both must be implemented alongside the new loan scheme.
As it stands, we are not building a competitive future. For instance, many countries have introduced coding education from age 5-6, while this is not the case in Nigeria. NELFUND is commendable, but it must be synchronized with efforts from primary school level upwards to prepare students for the future. President Tinubu deserves commendation for establishing NELFUND as a vital social structure to bridge the widening gap of class stratification in our society. It provides opportunities for individuals to catch up, stay relevant, and bridge the gap between poverty and shared prosperity through the expansion of the middle class. Ultimately, NELFUND will contribute to rebuilding the middle-class base of our society, which is commendable and worthy of applause.
•Ademola-Olateju, a former Ondo State Commissioner for Information, is Director of New Media and Corporate Services for All Progressives Congress (APC)
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammed Idris, says introduction of the Nigerian Educational Loan Fund (NELFUND) is to ensure that no Nigerian child is denied access to quality higher education.
Idris, stated this on Monday in Ibadan at a Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry to sensitise the public on the midterm achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the sensitisation campaign is ‘Tinubu Administration’s Mid-Term Report.’
Idris, who was represented by the Head of Federal Ministry of Information in Oyo State, Mr Moses Oyelade, said that the country had suffered a regime of haphazard human development indices over the years.
According to him, the nation’s Human Development Index (HDI) was not what it should be, therefore President Bola Tinubu resolved to address the challenge.
He said that this resolve of President Tinubu was what activated the NELFUND initiative.
Idris asserted that over 5,000 students of the University of Ibadan in Oyo State have benefited from NELFUND.
The minister further said that the President Tinubu administration had been working assiduously and through its policies and programmes transforming the country.
He said that the town hall meeting was meant to present the stewardship of President Tinubu’s administration in the last two years.
In his presentation, the event’s Resource Person, Dr Solomon Oyeleye, who is the Acting Director of Parents’ Engagements and Alumni Relations, Caleb University, Lagos, lauded the economic-policies of the Tinubu administration.
Oyeleye said the removal of oil subsidy was in order, noting that the decision was risky, but it was a necessity “because until that time, we were spending more than 80 per cent of our revenue on servicing loans.
“Even though, we are not there yet, but what the President has done so far is guiding us towards a direction that our forefathers actually envisioned.”
He urged the Federal Government to engage with the stakeholders; Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); the health workers, among others, to ensure that the country does not lose the gains of the oil subsidy removal.
Oyeleye also canvassed federal support for regional security outfits, such as ‘Amotekun’ to empower them to better complement the police and other security agencies.
He equally recommended that social programmes should be enlarged to cover more of the South-West.
Highlighting the achievements of President Tinubu’s administration in Oyo state, the Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr Victor Kolawole, said that the government, in the last two years, embarked on a number of road construction/ rehabilitation across the state.
Kolawole said that Oyo state plays a vital role in the economic and transportation sector of Nigeria because it was a gateway to other regions in country.
He said that the FG in March re-awarded the contract for the completion of Oyo-Ogbomoso dual carriage-way.
According to him, the new contractor was working aggressively on the project.
He also said that work was ongoing on the Saki-Okerete road, “which is a transborder road.
“Also, Ibadan-Oyo road is undergoing rehabilitation while Ibadan-Ife- Ilesa road reconstruction is receiving federal government attention,” the controller said.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Works, under the leadership of Sen. David Umahi, due to evolving realities, had to rescope the Ibadan-Ife- Ilesa road project to reflect technical, financial and social considerations.
“The ministry is determined and committed to overcoming this challenges and delivering the project to meet the socio-economic aspirations of the people and the Renewed Hope Agenda of this present administration,” he said.
Kolawole maintained that the federal government through the Works ministry would continue to deliver quality road projects for the benefits of Nigerians.
In the same vein, Solomon Adewole, who spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, state office, said the administration was currently constructing 250- housing units, known as Renewed Hope Estate at Erunmu in Ibadan.
Adewole said the Renewed Hope Estate project comprises 25 units of one bedroom, 75 units of two bedroom and 25 units of three bedroom.
He said the houses were meant for the less privileged, because of its affordability to the common masses.
Adewole said that road network into the estate had been completed while the real project was at over 60 per cent completion.
In his remarks, the Dean of Students, University of Ibadan, Prof. Demola Lewis, appreciated President Tinubu’s administration for the introduction of NELFUND.
Lewis confirmed that not less that 5,000 students of the University of Ibadan, had benefited from the initiative.
He urged government to further engage in students-friendly initiatives that would assist more students in their academic pursuit.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has urged tertiary institutions to speed up the verification process for beneficiaries of the loan scheme.
In a statement by its Director, Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the agency said the slow verification process was causing delays in loan disbursement to beneficiaries.
The statement reads: “The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), in yet a further demonstration of its unwavering commitment to serving the beneficiaries of the student loan programme better, has called on tertiary institutions to improve on their turnaround time for the verification and approval of completed and submitted applications to avoid unnecessary delay in loan disbursement to the students.
“This plea becomes necessary as NELFUND is inundated with complaints from prospective beneficiaries expressing worries that the delay in the verification of their applications by the institutions – a critical requirement for the loan application process – is causing delay for many of them in receiving their institutional fees and upkeep allowance from NELFUND.
“The fund believes that by prioritising timely verification and approval of successfully completed and submitted applications, the loan beneficiaries would have no issues getting their fees as when due.”
Also, the agency said it had moved to a new permanent headquarters.
“Effective September 5, 2025, all official correspondence, visits, and enquiries will now be directed to: House 12, Plot 103/104, Monrovia Street, Wuse 2, Opposite Bon Hotel, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
“We wish to assure our stakeholders and the public that this relocation will not interrupt our services in any way. NELFUND remains fully operational and committed to its mandate of providing affordable education loans and support to Nigerian students across the country,” the statement added.
At a news conference held on Thursday in Kano, Issa-Onilu announced the start of five nationwide campaigns focusing on government policies, national values and identities, security awareness, and disaster preparedness.
The Director-General also revealed that the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, working together with various partners, is prepared to assist 150,000 young people nationwide with a total of N110 billion.
The Director General, through Mr. Williams Dogo, the Director of Legal Services at the agency, communicated that NELFUND is accessible to all eligible Nigerians attending public tertiary institutions.
He explained that the sensitisation programme, themed “Nationwide Sensitisation on Five Thematic Areas,” aims to enhance citizens’ understanding of various government initiatives.
The head of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) outlined that the campaign will focus on the presidential directive regarding flood mitigation. This directive includes allocating N3 billion to each state in 2024 for clearing drainage systems and relocating communities at risk.
The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State, Engineer Dr.Taofeek Adekunle Abdul- Hameed , has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the introduction of the students loan scheme and NELFUND.
The Rector said more students of the institution are benefiting from the intervention.
Abdul-Hameed , disclosed this while speaking at the ninth Governing Council meeting of the institution held at the permanent site at Ayede, Oyo State, presided over by Hon. Yakubu Dati, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution.
The Rector said : “I would like to express gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for introducing NELFUND, which has enabled our students in Ayede to benefit from student loans. This initiative will alleviate the financial burden on indigent students and their families.”
The Rector further commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, TETFUND and other intervening agencies for seeing to the completion of over twenty projects at the permanent site in addition to others at the temporary site, with student enrolment growing by the day.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State, Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for introducing the student loan scheme and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Speaking at the ninth Governing Council meeting of the institution, held at its permanent site in Ayede under the chairmanship of Hon. Yakubu Dati, Abdul-Hameed noted that more students of the polytechnic are already benefitting from the intervention.
“I would like to express gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for introducing NELFUND, which has enabled our students in Ayede to benefit from student loans.
This initiative will alleviate the financial burden on indigent students and their families,” he said.
The rector, also praised the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, TETFUND, and other intervention agencies for ensuring the completion of over 20 projects at the permanent site, alongside others at the temporary site, noting that student enrolment continues to grow.
He further lauded the Governing Council Chairman, Hon. Yakubu Dati, for resolving long-standing staff issues relating to transfer of service, promotions, and training, which he said has restored industrial harmony and peaceful coexistence within the institution.
Abdul-Hameed added that the polytechnic is an active partner in the upcoming Ogbomoso Education Summit, hosted by the Soun of Ogbomoso, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye (Orumogege III), as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Highlights of the Governing Council meeting included the inspection of ongoing projects and the consideration and approval of committee reports.
Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has disclosed that over 600,000 students have so far benefitted from the N59million disbursed under the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
Issa-Onilu, disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Kano, to launch the five nationwide enlightenment campaigns on government policies, national values and identities, security awareness and disaster preparedness.
The director-general further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, in collaboration with other stakeholders, had expressed the readiness to support 150,000 youths across the country with N110 billion.
The director general, who was represented by Mr Williams Dogo, Director, Legal Services of the agency, said that NELFUND was available to all qualified Nigerians in public tertiary institutions.
He said the sensitisation programme, with the theme “Nationwide Sensitisation on Five Thematic Areas,” was designed to deepen citizens’ knowledge of government initiatives.
The NOA boss explained that the campaign would highlight the presidential directive on flood mitigation, which provided for the release of N3 billion to each state in 2024 for drainage clearance and relocation of vulnerable communities.
He said that 700 schools had been renovated nationwide as an intervention to improve learning facilities in rural areas.
Issa-Onilu further said that more than 15,000 new security personnel had been deployed nationwide to address diverse security challenges.
“It is our intention to carry out security awareness campaigns reaching no fewer than three million Nigerians in each state through media engagements, advocacy visits to traditional and religious leaders, rallies at markets and motor parks, as well as town hall meetings,” he said.
On national values, he said that reorientation campaign would focus on patriotism, unity and campaigns against extreme graduation practices that contradict cultural norms.
He added that the campaign would also familiarise Nigerians with the current national anthem.
The Student Loan Scheme has saved many students from dropping out of school. President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project is a ray of hope for students in tertiary institutions across the nation. Administered by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the scheme has revolutionised tertiary education, and underscored the commitment of the President to make education accessible to all students. In this report, CALEB CHIEMERIE OKECHUKWU(ABSU) finds out if students at Abia State University (ABSU) have truly enjoyed the scheme.
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act into law on April 3, 2024, hopes were high across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. For the first time in our nation’s history, there was a dedicated fund – the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), promising to bridge the gap between financial incapacity and higher education. The law was heralded as a revolutionary shift that would democratise access to education, ensuring that no qualified student would be denied their academic dreams because of money.
Now, more than a year later, the question lingers: Have ABSU students reaped the dividends of NELFUND?
The Senate’s “No School Fees, No Exams” Rule
Recently, the ABSU Senate reignited debate about student welfare when it introduced a new policy: “No school fees, no exams.” The policy, while not unusual in Nigerian tertiary institutions, sparked mixed reactions across the campus.
In an official communication, the Senate encouraged students struggling to pay their fees to explore the NELFUND option as a lifeline. On paper, the directive made sense: if students could not raise the funds from their families or sponsors, NELFUND was a government-backed cushion meant to guarantee uninterrupted studies.
However, many students were quick to point out the contradictions between the Senate’s tough stance and the operational realities of NELFUND. The rigid enforcement of the “no school fees, no exams” policy meant students could not sit for assessments unless fees were settled. But NELFUND disbursements often came late, creating a clash between the ideal of access and the reality of bureaucracy.
The Double-fees dilemma
One of the most frustrating experiences for ABSU students has been the issue of delayed disbursements, particularly in relation to tuition fees. Some students who applied for NELFUND in time, with the expectation that their fees would be covered, ended up waiting for over a month without any feedback.
Faced with the looming threat of missing exams under the Senate’s new rule, many of them reluctantly sourced money from friends, family, and even loan sharks to pay their tuition. Ironically, after paying out of pocket, NELFUND disbursements eventually arrived, settling the same school fees again.
This meant that some students effectively paid double tuition: once from their strained personal resources and a second time through NELFUND’s delayed intervention. Such inefficiencies not only defeated the purpose of the scheme but also left students feeling cheated rather than empowered.
What ABSU students have to say
To get a real sense of NELFUND’s impact, Campus Life gathered firsthand commentaries from ABSU students who have interacted with the scheme. Their voices revealed both the promise and the pitfalls of the programme more than a year after its launch.
Udeze Emmanuel, a 300-Level Pharmacy student said:
“I feel NELFUND is okay, but I experienced some delay in upkeep. I registered in February but I only started getting paid in August.”
For Emmanuel, the scheme is positive but marred by sluggish execution. The upkeep allowance, meant to support day-to-day living costs like feeding, transportation, and books, came six months late, undermining its purpose of relieving financial pressure.
Victory Cosmas, a 200-Level Medicine and Surgery said: “NELFUND has been a welcome development and I’m genuinely pleased with the impact it has had so far. The disbursement of funds has provided relief and opportunities to many beneficiaries, and it gives hope that with sustained transparency and efficiency, even more people will benefit. However, there is still room for improvement, particularly in the promptness of upkeep payments. Ensuring timely disbursements would go a long way in helping students and beneficiaries plan better and meet their needs without unnecessary hardship.”
Victory’s perspective is more balanced, celebrating the intervention but pointing to the structural reforms still needed. His words capture the optimism of many students who see NELFUND as a necessary policy, even if its implementation is far from perfect.
Ugochukwu Chinonso, a 400-Level Pharmacy student noted that generally it has been really helpful, but he feels they need to be more predictable in the payment of the upkeep allowance.
Chinonso’s call for predictability underscores one of the core criticisms of NELFUND: uncertainty. Students need not just access to funds but the confidence that those funds will arrive on time.
Despite its noble objectives of covering tuition fees and providing student upkeep, NELFUND’s execution reveals several critical weaknesses including processing delays wherein applications routinely take months to process, leaving students in financial uncertainty.
Students receive minimal updates on application status, creating anxiety and poor financial planning, poor synchronisation between NELFUND and university systems leads to duplicate payments and administrative confusion.
Institutional response needed
ABSU’s strict fee enforcement, while financially necessary for the institution, highlights the need for more flexible policies that account for government programme delays. Universities could implement grace periods for verified NELFUND applicants or establish real-time coordination systems to prevent double payments.
There is need for better collaboration between the loan fund and university bursaries to streamline the entire process, ensuring students don’t fall through bureaucratic cracks.
National pattern emerges
ABSU’s experience mirrors reports from universities across Nigeria, suggesting systemic rather than localised challenges. While NELFUND has prevented many students from dropping out due to financial constraints, there is room for improvement.
Path to improvement
For NELFUND to fulfill its transformative promise, urgent reforms are essential. These include streamlining application processing through improved technology systems, providing regular status updates to applicants, developing coordinated policies with universities to accommodate processing timelines and establishing reliable disbursement calendars aligned with academic needs.
Mixed verdict on its success
After more than a year of operation, NELFUND’s impact at ABSU remains decidedly mixed. While the scheme has provided crucial financial lifelines for many students, systemic delays and coordination failures have created new frustrations. The programme’s potential remains undeniable, offering hope for a Nigeria where financial circumstances don’t determine educational outcomes. However, realising this vision requires addressing the gap between policy intention and operational reality.
Until NELFUND can deliver on its promises with greater efficiency and reliability, students like those at ABSU will continue navigating the uncertain space between governmental support and educational achievement.
The question isn’t whether NELFUND was needed, it clearly was. The challenge now is making it work as smoothly as the students who depend on it deserve.
