The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed over N2.9 billion as loans for tuition fees to more than 27,000 students across 19 higher education institutions in Nigeria.

However, none of the institutions is located in the South-East region, sparking controversy and criticisms against the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

According to a NELFUND’s circular, the Fund has allocated substantial loans to help students cover rising tuition costs.

When questioned about the exclusion of South-East institutions, NELFUND spokesperson, Nasir Ayitogo, dismissed any notion of bias, stating that “there is no consideration of geopolitical zones in disbursement.” Ayitogo explained that only institutions that responded to NELFUND’s verification lists, which were sent to all eligible institutions nationwide, were included in the disbursement process.

“NELFUND sent a verification list to every eligible institution. Only those that responded are receiving funds. We have not yet received any responses from institutions in the South-East,” Ayitogo clarified.

The exclusion of South-East institutions has reignited criticisms of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, which has faced accusations of neglecting the region in various political and administrative decisions since taking office in 2015.

LEADERSHIP had reported in June that Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the selection of at least 30,000 students from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria to benefit from the newly established NELFUND.

According to the data released, a total of ₦2,946,927,155.00 has been disbursed to support educational initiatives across the following institutions:

1. University of Maiduguri – ₦589,001,500.00

2. University of Ibadan – ₦201,114,650.00

3. University of Ilorin – ₦52,897,890.00

4. University of Benin – ₦24,412,500.00

5. Federal University Dutsin-Ma – ₦304,961,800.00

6. Bayero University Kano – ₦853,775,000.00

7. Federal College of Education Abeokuta – ₦1,945,700.00

8. Federal University of Technology Minna – ₦62,928,600.00

9. Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife – ₦50,414,000.00

10. Federal Polytechnic Ilaro – ₦8,347,465.00

11. University of Lagos – ₦122,494,400.00

12. University of Jos – ₦209,320,000.00

13. Federal College of Education Technical Gusau – ₦15,600,200.00

14. Federal College of Education Special Oyo – ₦18,502,500.00

15. Federal University Dutse – ₦207,106,000.00

16. Federal University Birnin Kebbi – ₦130,002,800.00

17. Modibbo Adama University Adamawa – ₦83,837,850.00

18. Federal Polytechnic Bauchi – ₦7,218,800.00

19. Federal Polytechnic Mubi – ₦2,045,500.00

Nelfund

The total number of students benefiting from the loans stands at 27,667, highlighting the significant impact of the financial support on Nigeria’s education sector.

Recall that President Tinubu had earlier signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024, into law, a move hailed by many as a significant advancement in educational policy. The Nigerian Senate passed the bill following extensive deliberations by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on the report of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.

LEADERSHIP a week ago also reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) contributed a total of N50 billion to NELFUND from part of the recovered proceeds of crime remitted to the Nigerian government. This amount, according to the EFCC, was earmarked by the government for the student loan scheme.

Leadership