By Ifeanyi Uwagwu/Rita Oyiboka/Dinma Bigwa
Despite the disbursement of N2.5 billion in student loans to 12 institutions across Nigeria by the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), investigations reveal that Delta State institutions have not yet benefited from the fund. The loan scheme, which began accepting applications on May 25, 2024, has not reached several key institutions in the state.
At Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, the process of benefiting from the fund has only recently begun. According to Prof. Patrick Ijeh, Deputy Director of Ceremonials at DELSU, the institution was successfully onboarded into the scheme just a week ago.
“DELSU has been instructed to upload students data to the loan administrators’ database. We have completed the upload, and now we are informing our students that their names have been uploaded,” Prof. Ijeh said. However, with students currently on holiday, it remains unclear when they will begin benefiting from the loans.
Similarly, Admiralty University, Ibusa, has yet to start the onboarding process due to recent changes in its leadership. The institution was without a governing council until last week when President Bola Tinubu constituted one.
“We await the governing council’s meeting with the Senate to grant authority for us to proceed with the process of onboarding. Once this is done, we will access the loan program for our students,” said the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Makut Mashat.
At the University of Delta (UNIDEL), Agbor, the Dean of Students Advisory Services, Mr Azani Nwabukwu, mentioned that while feedback forms were distributed to students more than a month ago, no responses has been received. He expressed scepticism about the program, noting that no students from the institution or others had confirmed receiving funds. “We have distributed forms to students to begin the process but we have not gotten feedback from them if any of their applications were successful. The government says that loans have been disbursed, but I have not seen or heard from any student, not from UNIDEL but across the country who have come out to state that indeed they have received any money”, he said
Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, is also in the process of interfacing with NELFUND but has not yet been onboarded. The institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Clinton Sagboje, assured that once the process was complete, students will be notified to begin applying for loans. At Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba, the institution successfully onboarded into the NELFUND Portal in July. However, students who have applied for loans are still awaiting approval. The Acting Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Lucky Enakirerhi, confirmed that applications are being processed.
Meanwhile, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, remains uncertain about its status with NELFUND. The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Institution, Mrs. Tracy Nwose stated that she was unaware if the institution had been onboarded, but confirmed that no student from the institution had benefited from the fund.
The NELFUND student loan scheme is a flagship project of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aimed at providing financial assistance to indigent or low-income Nigerian students for the payment of fees in tertiary institutions.
However, the scheme has faced criticism, with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) calling for the conversion of the Educational Loan Fund to grants. ASUU’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed concerns that the student loans could place beneficiaries in long-term financial hardship after graduation.
