The National Association of Nigerian Students has threatened to embark on peaceful mass action, including the occupation of the headquarters of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, over what it described as a two-month delay in the disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances.
The students’ body said the delay had caused widespread anxiety among beneficiaries across tertiary institutions nationwide and called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene to prevent further escalation.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the NANS President, Babatunde Akinteye, the association said it had received numerous complaints from students over the non-payment of upkeep allowances under the NELFUND scheme.
According to him, the allowances, which are meant to support students with living expenses, have allegedly not been disbursed for the past two months without any official explanation.
“I have it on good authority that the disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances has been on hold for the past two months, with no clear explanation or accountability from the relevant authorities,” Akinteye said.
He described the development as unacceptable, arguing that it defeated the core objective of the student loan programme, which was introduced to ease the financial burden on students amid Nigeria’s challenging economic conditions.
“The primary objective of the NELFUND initiative is to provide relief and support to Nigerian students, particularly in the face of prevailing economic realities.
“Any delay that deprives students of access to these funds undermines the very purpose for which the initiative was established,” he stated.
NANS called on the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, to urgently intervene and ensure that all outstanding allowances were paid without further delay.
The association also demanded that the authorities provide a clear explanation to students regarding the reasons for the delay.
Akinteye warned that failure to resolve the issue within the shortest possible time could trigger peaceful protests by students across the country.
“Failure to do this within the shortest period of time will leave Nigerian students with no option but to embark on peaceful mass action, including the occupation of the NELFUND head office, until concrete steps are taken to address the situation,” he said.
He, however, stressed that the warning should not be interpreted as a threat but as a reflection of the frustrations of thousands of students whose welfare and academic pursuits were being negatively affected by the delay.
Messages sent to the Director of Corporate Communication, NELFUND, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund was established by the Federal Government to provide interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students pursuing higher education in public tertiary institutions.
Beyond tuition support, the scheme also provides monthly upkeep allowances aimed at helping beneficiaries meet basic living expenses while in school.
Since the commencement of the programme, thousands of students across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education have benefited from tuition payments and upkeep support.
However, concerns over delays in disbursement and administrative bottlenecks have occasionally sparked complaints from beneficiaries, with student groups repeatedly calling for greater transparency and the timely release of funds.
