The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has reaffirmed that no illegal deductions were made from student loans disbursed by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), contrary to earlier public speculation.
Instead, he announced robust reform measures to streamline the financial interface between NELFUND and tertiary institutions, ensuring greater clarity, accountability, and efficiency in student loan disbursements.
Dr. Alausa made this known during a strategic meeting with Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities, Executive Secretary of National Universities (NUC) and the Managing Director of NELFUND at the TETFund Auditorium in Abuja.
He explained that reports of misappropriation initially circulated in the media were not substantiated by investigations.
Rather, the issues identified involved lapses in communication timelines between NELFUND, universities, and students.
“The disbursement process is functional,” the Minister said, “but optimization is essential. What we are doing now is making a good system better. We owe it to the students and the Nigerian public to ensure full transparency and standardization.”
To this end, Dr. Alausa announced the establishment of a high-level Committee tasked with harmonizing and standardizing the nomenclature of various charges levied by universities, which are often misinterpreted as hidden deductions from loan funds. The Committee’s mandate also includes:
Developing a unified operational timeline that defines when NELFUND must disburse funds to institutions;
The timeframe within which universities are to notify students of fund receipt;
The period by which students must be granted access to their loans, and
A comprehensive communication protocol. This protocol is expected to ensure that both institutions and NELFUND notify students through multiple channels—such as SMS, email, and phone calls—to guarantee effective and timely information delivery.
He emphasized that tertiary education in Nigeria remains tuition-free but noted that other institutional charges must be clearly defined and justifiable. “We are putting an end to ambiguity,” he added.
The Minister further directed that the Committee submit its findings within three weeks, after which the Ministry will release a comprehensive set of guidelines within four weeks to govern all aspects of student loan disbursement and utilization.
Earlier in the meeting, the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyer, highlighted the progress made in establishing a user-friendly online platform that allows eligible Nigerian students in both federal and state tertiary institutions to apply for and manage their loans transparently.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, urged NELFUND to improve access and extend outreach to eligible students. He also called on all stakeholders to work toward more impactful and equitable education service delivery.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirms its unwavering commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by protecting student welfare and promoting efficient systems that guarantee fairness and transparency in higher education financing.
All stakeholders are enjoined to support the ongoing reforms and cooperate fully with the Committee’s efforts.