By Haliru Idris, Lawrence Okedare and Rukayat Abdulraheem
The management of the University of Ilorin has expressed deep appreciation to the Federal Government for the successful implementation of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with more than 12,000 students of the institution benefitting so far.
The University’s Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Alex Morenikeji-Akanmu, stated that the cumulative value of the intervention for Unilorin students amounts to approximately N1.5 billion across the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions.
According to him, the institution remains one of the top beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s education loan scheme, describing it as a major relief for students and parents struggling with financial challenges.
“We sincerely appreciate the Federal Government for this laudable initiative. With about 12,000 of our students benefiting from NELFUND, this demonstrates the government’s genuine commitment to educational support. In fact, for this current session, some students were treated as if they had already paid, because we got prior approval and audited their data from NELFUND,” he said.
Dr Morenikeji-Aremu explained that, in some instances, the University paid students’ fees in advance while awaiting the official release of funds from NELFUND to prevent any disruption in academic activities.
“For us, it has been a very smooth experience. Unlike in 2023 when some students paid before the fund arrived and later got refunded, this time, the University made the payment on their behalf. So, the issue of refund no longer arises,” he added.
The Dean further revealed that management is currently compiling data of newly admitted students to enable them to access the new NELFUND application window recently opened by the Federal Government.
He reiterated the institution’s gratitude to the Federal Government, noting that the initiative has greatly enhanced access to education, especially for students from low-income backgrounds.
“We want to thank the Federal Government because our students have benefited immensely. The initiative has made education more accessible, and we are optimistic that even more students will take advantage of it as the new session begins,” he concluded.
The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) was established by the Federal Government to provide interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions, aimed at promoting equal access to quality education and reducing financial barriers to learning.
