ABUJA, NIGERIA — As of Monday, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has explained why some students who have dropped out of institutions continue to receive monthly stipends. This explanation came during a press briefing in Abuja, where the Executive Director of Operations, Mustapha Iyal, addressed reporters.
Iyal stated, “What we are currently working on is updating our system. This update includes improving the student database. Without this update, we cannot identify those who have left school. Therefore, we are working directly with institutions. We have gathered a lot of data from these institutions, and many applicants are not receiving their next upkeep payment. Why? Because their data shows they are inactive. ‘Inactive’ means they are no longer in school.”
He further explained the verification process, saying, “To determine if a student has moved to the next session or obtained a result that allows them to continue, we need to check their enrollment status for the next academic year. We are currently updating our records for the 2024–2025 session. Based on our database, a significant number of students may not receive their next upkeep payment. Why? Because they only attended the 2023–2024 session but were unable to move into the next academic year.”
Iyal also mentioned ongoing consultations with institutions regarding pending applications. He elaborated, “Our process involves verifying the documents uploaded by the student. If verified, we send the application to the institution to confirm enrollment status and fee validity. If confirmed, we proceed with payment.”
NELFUND, a flagship initiative of President Bola Tinubu, aims to provide loans to indigent students to improve access to education.
