More than one year after receiving official letters of appointment from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), dozens of newly employed staff members remain unable to assume their duties, despite completing documentation processes and repeatedly appealing to government officials for intervention.
What began as a moment of celebration and hope for many of the affected employees has gradually turned into a prolonged period of uncertainty, frustration and emotional distress. Some say they resigned from previous jobs after receiving their appointment letters, while others informed family members of a new chapter in their lives, expecting to begin work within weeks.
Instead, they have spent over a year waiting for a resumption date that has yet to come. Documents show that NELFUND issued letters of appointment dated January 14, 2025, following a recruitment exercise conducted by the organisation. The letters, signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, informed successful candidates that they had been offered employment following a screening exercise.
The appointment letters stated: “Further to your recent screening with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, you have been offered an appointment as … effective from the date of your assumption of duty.” The letters further indicated that the employees would be placed on probation for a period of one year from the date of assumption of duty and directed them to communicate acceptance of the offer within 14 days.
The successful candidates subsequently completed documentation processes on February 3, 2025 and were reportedly informed that resumption would follow shortly. However, nearly 18 months later, many of them say they are still waiting for a definite date to begin work.
For some of the affected employees, the delay has brought more than financial difficulties. It has also created emotional strain within families who had pinned their hopes on the promised employment. Parents who anticipated a more stable income say they have struggled to meet obligations, while others have been forced to repeatedly explain to relatives and friends why a job they were officially offered has not materialised.
The affected employees first formally raised the matter in a letter dated January 27, 2026 and addressed to the Chairman of the House Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing, Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero. In the letter, they wrote: “We, the affected employees, are writing to express our concerns regarding our delay of resumption of duty after the resumption notice sent on January 14, 2025, and documented on February 3rd, 2025. It has been over a year since we received the notice, and despite our efforts to comply, we are yet to resume our duties.”
The group further stated: “We are worried about the prolonged uncertainty and its impact on our livelihoods and family. We kindly request a meeting with you to discuss the status of our resumption and the necessary steps to be taken.” Appealing for intervention, they added: “We believe in your capacity that this will aid your fatherly attention, love and care to our long waiting expectation, as we can’t wait to join our friends who were documented together in February 3rd 2025.”
When no visible progress followed, another letter carrying similar concerns was submitted to the lawmaker on February 10, 2026. The employees later escalated the issue to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in a detailed letter dated May 1, 2026. In the correspondence, they congratulated the minister on his appointment and expressed confidence in his leadership, while drawing attention to the difficulties they had endured since receiving their employment offers.
The letter revealed the personal sacrifices many of them made after receiving the appointment letters. “Having successfully completed the recruitment process conducted by the NELFUND management, we received the offer letters, participated in the documentation, filled our resumption forms and were informed that resumption would follow shortly,” the employees wrote. They continued: “With joy, we left our former jobs, told our wives and children of a new beginning. Several months have passed, and we are yet to receive official communication on a definite resumption date. This prolonged wait has caused us and our families financial, emotional, and psychological strain.”
That passage captures what many of the affected workers describe as the most painful aspect of the delay. For families who celebrated the appointments as a breakthrough after years of searching for stable employment, each passing month without resumption has deepened anxiety and uncertainty. Some say they continue to receive questions from spouses, children and relatives about when the long-awaited jobs will finally commence.
Despite the situation, the employees said they remain committed to the objectives of NELFUND and the Federal Government’s student loan programme. “We remain deeply committed to the vision of NELFUND and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President to expand access to higher education through student loans. We are eager to contribute our skills and energy to this noble mandate,” they stated.
After receiving no response to their earlier appeal, the group sent a reminder to the Minister of Education on June 16, 2026. In the follow-up letter, they stressed that the situation had become increasingly difficult for those affected. “The delay continues to traumatize the affected staff,” they wrote.
The employees further appealed for urgent intervention, stating: “We believe a brief meeting with you will provide an opportunity to present the facts, clarify grey areas, and seek your kind intervention to fast-track our resumption process. This will enable the new employees to commence duties and contribute meaningfully to the mandate of NELFUND.”
With months turning into more than a year since their appointments were issued, the affected employees are now urging NELFUND management, the Federal Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities to provide clarity on their employment status and a firm timeline for resumption. For them, the issue is no longer merely about employment paperwork or administrative delays. It is about restoring certainty to lives placed on hold, fulfilling promises made through official appointment letters, and giving dozens of families the opportunity to finally begin the future they believed had arrived in January 2025.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to embark on countrywide peaceful mass action, including the occupation of the headquarters of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), over the prolonged delay in the disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances. The students’ body said it had received numerous complaints from beneficiaries across the country, alleging that the upkeep component of the student loan scheme had not been paid for the past two months, leaving many students stranded amid harsh economic conditions.
In a statement on Saturday, NANS President, Akinteye Afeez, described the delay as unacceptable and contrary to the objectives of the NELFUND initiative, which was established to provide financial relief and support to Nigerian students. According to him, the continued withholding of the allowances has generated anxiety and frustration among beneficiaries who depend on the funds for their daily welfare and academic needs.
“We have it on good authority that the disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances has been on hold for the past two months without any clear explanation from the relevant authorities. This situation has created widespread concern among Nigerian students nationwide,” he said.
Afeez 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, Taiwo Oyedele, to urgently intervene and resolve all issues responsible for the delay. He demanded an immediate explanation from the authorities and the prompt payment of all outstanding allowances to affected students.
The NANS president warned that failure to address the situation within the shortest possible time would compel Nigerian students to take peaceful but decisive action. “Failure to resolve all issues relating to the delayed upkeep payments and ensure that students receive their entitlements will leave Nigerian students with no option but to embark on peaceful mass action, including the occupation of the NELFUND Head Office, until concrete steps are taken to address the situation,” he stated.
He stressed that the planned action should not be viewed as a threat but as a legitimate expression of the frustrations of thousands of students whose welfare has been negatively impacted by the delay. He reaffirmed NANS’ commitment to defending the interests of Nigerian students and ensuring that their voices are heard on issues affecting their education and well-being.
