Nigerian Students Worried About Delay in NELFUND Allowance

Nigerian students benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) are worried about the delay in their monthly upkeep allowance. They say this delay is causing financial stress and affecting their studies.

Some students shared with Campus Reporter that the last time they got the ₦20,000 monthly upkeep allowance was in April. Others mentioned they received their May stipends only at the end of July.

As of Wednesday, 22 July, some students said they have not received both May and June stipends. Lukman Kamaldeen, a student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDUS), said he got the May stipend on 17 July. He added that he has not yet received the June payment.

Another student from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL), reported he received the May stipends on 20 July.

Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the NELFUND spokesperson, has not answered calls or texts seeking comments.

The upkeep allowance is part of the NELFUND program, set up by the Federal Government to ease the financial burden on students at public universities. Besides tuition loans, the program gives a monthly stipend to help students with living costs while studying.

But students from many schools have raised concerns about the delay in receiving their upkeep.

Students at IBBUL told Campus Reporter that the delay has made it hard for them to meet basic needs like food and transport. Many have been forced to depend on friends and family for help.

They said this delay has greatly impacted their daily lives and studies.

Joy Andrew, a 200-level Chemistry student at IBBUL, said the delay has made her financially unstable and changed how she feels about the program. She explained that she borrowed money from a friend, expecting to pay back once she got her monthly allowance.

The delay has also caused issues with her family, who think she has not been truthful about the payment. "Some time ago, I borrowed money from a friend, thinking that by this month I would receive my upkeep allowance and pay my friend back. But for almost two months now, nothing has been sent to my account," she said.

Another IBBUL student, Hadiza, mentioned that she has not received both May and June stipends as of Wednesday, 22 July.

Isah Daja, the President of the National Association of Niger State Students (NANISS) at IBBUL, said the association is aware of the complaints and is in talks with the right authorities to get updates.

Daja said the information they have shows that NELFUND is upgrading its server and doing a reconciliation process before they can start disbursing funds again. "The directing manager said they are just trying to upgrade their server and are almost done, and disbursement will commence any moment," he said.

He reassured students that they will receive their allowances as soon as the work is finished. "They should be patient and believe in us that we are advocating for them. They should always channel issues regarding NELFUND to the right body and not suffer in silence," he said.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also confirmed that it has heard from affected students across the country and called the situation troubling. The association urged the Federal Government and NELFUND management to quickly resolve the issue and release all overdue allowances.

Akinteye Afeez, the President of NANS, said the long delays go against the purpose of starting the program. He called on the Federal Government and NELFUND management to release the outstanding allowances immediately, warning that continued delays might lead to protests by students.