The Nigerian government’s flagship tuition scheme has been credited with a major breakthrough in making higher education accessible to the country’s youth, according to a senior lawmaker. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships, and Higher Education Financing, Ifeoluwa Ehindero, praised the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for its “outstanding performance” since its inception. Speaking in Abuja during an interactive session with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), Mr. Ehindero noted that the agency had successfully dismantled long-standing financial hurdles for nearly a million students.
Rapid Scaling and Performance
Despite being just over a year old, NELFUND has seen an aggressive uptake in its services. Since launching in 2024, the agency has processed over one million applications, resulting in the disbursement of more than 116 billion Naira ($72m; £57m) in institutional fees and upkeep stipends as of October 2025.According to data provided by the committee:
Total Beneficiaries: 983,000 students
Participating Institutions: 265 higher education centers
Peak Processing Speed: Up to 50,000 applications verified per week. “This is not a small feat,” Mr. Ehindero said. “These are not just ‘ghost’ applications; they are verifiable. To verify nearly a million applicants in this timeframe shows the agency is working tirelessly.”
Funding and Legislative Support
The lawmaker highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment” to the scheme, noting that recent tax reforms have secured a more sustainable funding model. Under the new 4% Development Levy on accessible profits, NELFUND has been allocated a 15% share, a significant increase from its previous funding structure.”The President has mandated that funds should always be available… that the issue of ‘no funds’ should not reach NELFUND. This shows education is being treated as a catalyst for national development.”
Accountability Challenges
However, the success of the fund has faced administrative bottlenecks at the institutional level. Mr. Ehindero revealed that while NELFUND processes and releases the money, some universities and colleges have been slow to credit student accounts or activate registration portals. To combat “sharp practices,” the House Committee has intensified its oversight:
Refunds: Eleven schools have already been forced to refund money to NELFUND.
Major Recovery: One institution alone was compelled to return 266 million Naira.
Digital Reform: The committee is now pushing for a fully digitalized dashboard that allows students to activate their own payments and register for courses immediately upon disbursement, bypassing institutional delays. Mr. Ehindero urged students to continue taking full advantage of the fund, promising that the legislature would remain “on the neck” of any institution attempting to frustrate the process.
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