A delayed allowance may appear to be a minor administrative issue, but for many Nigerian students, it can mean missed meals, unpaid transport fares and growing uncertainty about how to navigate campus life.
That has been the reality for thousands of beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), following a technical glitch that disrupted the disbursement of monthly upkeep allowances and left students waiting for payments for nearly two months.
The development was confirmed by a source within NELFUND, who disclosed that the agency was currently working to resolve the issue and reconcile affected
transactions.
“We have a system glitch, and we’re trying to reconcile,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, told our correspondent.
The disclosure comes amid growing complaints from beneficiaries of the student loan scheme over the non-payment of monthly upkeep allowances, a development that has sparked concern among students who depend on the stipends to meet their daily needs.
The disruption has also drawn the attention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which said it had received numerous complaints from students across tertiary institutions nationwide regarding the delayed payments.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the President of NANS, Babatunde Akinteye, said the association had gathered reports indicating that the disbursement of upkeep allowances had been on hold for the past two months.
“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 expressed concern that the delay was causing anxiety among beneficiaries and undermining the objective of the student loan scheme.
“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 added.
The student leader called on the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy,
Wale Edun, to intervene and ensure that all outstanding allowances were paid without further delay.
He also urged the authorities to provide a clear explanation for the disruption and timelines for resolving the issue.
Although the association threatened peaceful mass action should the delays persist, the immediate concern for many students remains the prolonged disruption of payments they rely on for feeding, transportation, accommodation and other day-to-day expenses.
Efforts to obtain an official response from NELFUND on the extent of the glitch and when payments would resume were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The latest disruption comes as NELFUND continues the implementation of Nigeria’s student loan programme, one of the flagship education interventions of thePresident Bola Tinubu administration.
NELFUND was established following the enactment of the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, which was signed into law by President Tinubu in June 2023 and later amended in 2024 to strengthen the framework for implementation.
The agency was created to provide interest-free loans to eligible students in public tertiary institutions and to offer upkeep support to help beneficiaries cope with living expenses while pursuing their education.
Since disbursements began, the fund has approved loans and allowances for hundreds of thousands of students across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The scheme has been widely viewed as a major intervention aimed at removing financial barriers to higher education and improving access for students from low-income backgrounds.
However, implementation has not been without challenges. Beneficiaries have at various times raised concerns over verification delays, application processing issues and payment timelines.
The latest portal glitch has now emerged as another test for the programme, with students and stakeholders urging NELFUND to resolve the problem swiftly and restore confidence in the scheme.
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.