The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has addressed concerns regarding the exclusion of South-East tertiary institutions from its recent loan disbursements. NELFUND, established under the Higher Education Act 2023, aims to provide loans to low-income Nigerians for tuition payments.
There have been claims, notably from the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), that the South-East region was deliberately left out of the recent loan disbursements. The group described this exclusion as “worrisome” and criticized the National Assembly’s education committees for their silence on the matter.
Responding to these concerns, NELFUND spokesperson Nasir Ayitogo explained that the exclusion was not based on geopolitical considerations. He clarified that institutions in the South-East did not participate because they failed to respond to the verification requests sent by NELFUND. According to Mr. Ayitogo, payments were made only to institutions that completed this verification process.
The South-East was initially represented on NELFUND’s list of eligible institutions, with two universities—Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University and Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences—listed in July. However, the updated list released in August expanded the region’s representation to nine institutions, yet none received loan disbursements due to incomplete verification.
In light of this, the South-East caucus of the National Assembly has urged the region’s tertiary institutions to ensure they complete the verification process to allow their students to benefit from future disbursements.
NELFUND has disbursed a total of N2.94 billion to 19 institutions across the country, covering 27,667 students. The agency continues to encourage all eligible institutions to comply with its procedures to ensure their students can access the funds.
