The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone C, has called on tertiary institutions across Nigeria’s North-Central region to immediately refund students whose tuition fees were paid before receiving disbursements from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The student body said it was concerned that many beneficiaries of the student loan scheme had not received refunds despite their institutions already receiving tuition payments from NELFUND.
Speaking in Ilorin, the Zonal Coordinator of NANS Zone C, Abiola Babatunde, described the delays as unacceptable.
“We are also deeply concerned about the delay in the refund of NELFUND payments by some institutions. Several students who benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had already paid their tuition fees before the loan was disbursed, yet many institutions have continued to withhold their refunds for months,” he said.
“This is unacceptable and defeats the purpose of the intervention. NANS Zone C demands the immediate refund of all NELFUND payments due to affected students.”
The association warned institutions against using students’ refunds for administrative convenience or any other purpose.
“We will not tolerate any attempt by institutions to use students’ NELFUND refunds for administrative convenience or any other purpose,” Babatunde added.
The call comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the implementation of the student loan scheme.
Earlier, NELFUND warned institutions against delaying or refusing to refund students who had already paid their tuition before the Fund settled the same fees.
In July, NANS published a list of 39 tertiary institutions it alleged had received NELFUND tuition payments but had yet to refund affected students.
NELFUND also disclosed that it was investigating about 34 institutions over complaints relating to non-refund of students’ fees.
Beyond the refund issue, NANS criticised what it described as excessive late-payment penalties, hidden charges and unnecessary levies imposed by some tertiary institutions.
“A student who could not pay school fees early because of genuine financial hardship should not be punished with another inflated payment simply because the deadline has passed,” Babatunde said.
The association urged institutions across Kwara, Benue, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory to review their fee policies and ensure students receive value for the fees they pay.
NANS also called for improvements in student welfare, including better lecture halls, laboratories, accommodation, healthcare services, water supply and electricity.
On campus security, the association urged security agencies to strengthen protection around tertiary institutions and their host communities.
It also issued a two-week ultimatum to institutions in the zone that have not conducted Students’ Union Government (SUG) elections, demanding that the electoral process be completed within the period.
According to NANS, institutions that fail to comply may face what it described as legitimate and constitutional actions from the student body.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.