NELFUND's N20,000 upkeep allowance excites varsity students

The N20,000 stipend payment from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has sparked joy among university students who received the funds, prompting them to start celebrating.

The fund recently announced the successful disbursement of N407.4million upkeep allowance to 20,371 students from six tertiary institutions.

According to the agency, each student received the sum of N20,000.00 upkeep for the month of July.

The six institutions include: the University of Ibadan, Bayero University Kano, University of Ilorin, University of Benin, University of Maiduguri and Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State.

A cross section of beneficiaries expressed excitement at receiving the facility, saying it would ease the financial burden on their parents.

Others said they intend to use the stipend to stock up on household essentials, cover transport costs and other expenses.

Muhammad Ali Mustapha, a 200 Level undergraduate of University of Maiduguri, said the upkeep would enable him to focus on his studies without having to worry his father about daily transport fare to his institution.

The Veterinary Medicine student explained that the monthly stipend would help him to focus on his studies unencumbered by financial stress.

“The N20,000 upkeep means a lot to me. Before I used to ask my father for transport money which is almost N1,000 everyday, but now I have been able to handle that burden myself without asking him,” an elated Mustapha revealed on Facebook.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent, a 100 Level student of the Biological Service Department, Federal University of Dutsinma, Katsina State, Amidat Mohammed, said she used the funds to stock her home with foodstuff.

“It has eased the burden of asking my parents for upkeep every week. Although the upkeep is small, it will not only help to cushion the effect of economic hardship, I will now focus on my studies,” she said.

However, Babalolu Opemiposi, a 300-level undergraduate of Medicine and Surgery Department, University of Ibadan, called for an increase of the fund, pointing out that the current economic downturn has reduced the value and purchasing power of N20,000 upkeep.

He said: “Just like it is a stipend, I was not expecting it to do everything but it will do something. Given the current economic situation, if they can, NELFUND should increase it. It will boost our morale”.

Ardo Mustapha, a 300-level Petroleum Chemistry undergraduate of the University of Benin, confirmed receiving his upkeep allowance.

“The loan has eased the financial burden on me because I am the one taking care of my education. I will use it for transport, handout and purchase some basic things,” he said.

Similarly, other beneficiaries Maryam Lawan, a 100-level student of Bayero University Kano, and Amuda Omotayo of University of Ilorin said they used the stipend to stock their homes with foodstuff.

Some parents also have testimonies to share. Among them is Maureen Oyebanji, who enthusiastically described the scheme as a lifesaver.

In an interview with The Guardian, the single mother shared her heart-wrenching story of struggling to pay tuition fees for her three children in institutions of higher learning, revealing that she had to take out loans from colleagues, family members and cooperative societies to meet their educational needs.

She said: “I’m deeply grateful for this student loan, which has eased my financial struggles significantly. As a single mother, I was shouldering the burden alone, but this loan has come at the right time to help me breathe a sigh of relief.

“I was previously burdened with securing loans from cooperatives, family members and colleagues to cover school fees for my children, but the news of the student loan programme, shared by my daughter in UNIBEN, has brought unparalleled joy. With the government covering fees and providing a stipend, I’m now hopeful and eagerly awaiting disbursement for my other two children”.

Taking to his X handle, another parent, Mukhtar Rigachikun @Rigachikun124, stated that his son at Federal University Gusau applied for the facility without contacting anybody, adding that he has been verified, awaiting approval and disbursement.

It was also observed while only the University of Ibadan has confirmed receipt of institutional fees from NELFUND, the remaining five institutions are silent, prompting calls for the publication of the list of beneficiaries.

An X user, Adegoke Ademola @AdegokeAdemol19 tweeted, “The list should be published by schools. Most of the students will collect school fees from their parents, use it for Naira Bet and still go ahead and apply for student loan”.

He was, however, countered by Adebayo @baz_2411 who argued that doing so would violate our data protection laws.

President Bola Tinubu had in April this year, signed into law the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024.

The cardinal programme, managed by NELFUND under the leadership of Akintunde Sawyerr, seeks to address the challenge of financial constraints in accessing higher education by providing interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions struggling to pay fees as well as a monthly stipend of N20,000.

The Guardian reports that 1.2 million students from federal and state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are expected to benefit from the first phase of the scheme.

Checks on the agency’s website showed that 236 federal and state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education have been onboarded, resulting in 271,206 student registrations and 190,412 loan applications.

Speaking on the scepticism by students from the Southern region of the country on the genuineness of the loan scheme, the Rector, Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Professor Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, attributed it to the need to raise awareness to counteract the trend.

“I saw in them the genuine pursuit and intention for the Nigerian students to gain from this loan. In the first place, this is what we read of in other climes.

“When the mobile phone was first introduced into our country, there was apathy. There is this initial phobia towards some innovation. We call it innovation diffusion. From what the NELFUND MD said, there could be apathy, disbelief in some quarters,” he said.

Also, this week, the Federal Government injected an additional N50 billion into the student loan programme, bringing the total funds available for 2024 to a record N100 billion.

According to the fund, it has so far released over N2.026 billion as institutional fees directly to six tertiary institutions nationwide, even as our correspondent gathered that plans have reached advanced stage to disburse more funds to other tertiary institutions in coming days.

For the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, President Tinubu and NELFUND Management must be applauded for their dedication to promoting accessible and inclusive education for all Nigerian students.

He underscored the need for the Fund to promote greater awareness and ensure openness in its operations.

The Executive Director said by addressing the financial barriers faced by disadvantaged students, the scheme provides a vital opportunity for them to access higher education, fulfill their academic aspirations, and overcome financial hardships.