By Ayinde O. Ayinde, PhD
Across Nigeria’s public tertiary education system, a historic correction is underway. For decades, brilliant and deserving students in federal and state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education were pushed to the margins—not by lack of intelligence or ambition, but by lack of financial capacity. Today, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that long-standing injustice is being confronted directly through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a reform whose scale, structure, and early outcomes are already redefining access to higher education across the federation.
From inception, NELFUND has received 1,573,363 applications from Nigerian students, an unmistakable signal of the depth of unmet need that existed before this intervention. Out of these, 983,706 students from all geopolitical zones—North, South, East, and West—have already benefited. In real fiscal terms, publicly available and independently reported figures show that between ₦44.2 billion and over ₦56.8 billion has been disbursed within the first year of operations, covering tuition paid directly to institutions and upkeep allowances paid to students. These are not projections or promises; they are executed transactions.
The institutional reach of the scheme is equally compelling. As of the latest verified reports, between 198 and 299 public institutions—strictly federal and state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education—have received NELFUND-backed disbursements. Payments are made directly to institutions for tuition, with bursaries formally acknowledging receipts, while students receive upkeep support through traceable channels. This architecture alone distinguishes NELFUND from past interventions that collapsed under opacity and discretion.
Among the beneficiaries, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has emerged as the highest recipient in the current academic session. In a major January 2025 tranche, UNILAG received ₦557,658,375, with cumulative disbursements reported at over ₦1.3 billion for the session. This figure powerfully illustrates both the scale of need in Nigeria’s largest federal universities and the capacity of NELFUND to respond proportionately and transparently.
Other leading federal universities have recorded equally significant inflows. Bayero University, Kano received ₦1,339,145,000 in the January 2025 tranche, in addition to an earlier ₦853,775,000, bringing its cumulative receipts well above ₦2 billion. The University of Maiduguri received ₦1,271,428,000, alongside an earlier ₦589,001,500. The University of Jos recorded ₦941,404,000, while the University of Ibadan received ₦746,133,650, complementing an earlier ₦201,114,650 disbursement.
Newer and regional federal universities were not left behind. Federal University Dutsin-Ma received ₦909,476,450, in addition to an earlier ₦304,961,800. Federal University Dutse recorded ₦593,320,000, while Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto received ₦578,000,000 in one tranche and ₦226,931,440 in another. Modibbo Adama University received ₦528,511,350, and Federal University Kashere recorded ₦544,088,500.
State universities have featured prominently, underscoring the inclusive design of the scheme. Ekiti State University received ₦549,197,000. The University of Uyo received ₦433,728,200. Ebonyi State University recorded ₦293,273,000, with additional smaller tranches, while Osun State University received ₦218,954,500. Olabisi Onabanjo University benefitted from an early tranche of ₦7,265,000, and the University of Calabar received ₦182,668,000.
Specialised and agriculture-focused federal institutions were also covered. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike received ₦182,446,440 in one tranche and ₦71,016,220 in another. Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike received ₦274,251,000, alongside an additional ₦193,377,100. Federal University Wukari received ₦97,398,000, while the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta received ₦133,995,450. Early disbursements also reached institutions such as the University of Ilorin (₦52,897,890) and the University of Benin (₦24,412,500).
Behind these figures are real human stories. There is the first-generation university student who no longer faces deferment for unpaid fees; the polytechnic student who can now afford basic upkeep without abandoning school for menial work; the college of education trainee who can focus on becoming a teacher instead of worrying about daily survival. For these students, NELFUND is not an abstract policy—it is continuity, dignity, and hope.
Critics often latch onto perceived delays or the ₦20,000 monthly upkeep support, but such arguments rarely engage with reality. NELFUND was never designed to replace parental responsibility or function as a wage system. It is a support mechanism, not a salary. Moreover, delays arising from incomplete data, verification gaps, or institutional bottlenecks cannot honestly be framed as policy failure. Strict Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes are not obstacles; they are safeguards against fraud and abuse. Any serious public loan system anywhere in the world operates on the same principle.
What further distinguishes NELFUND is its openness and responsiveness. Institutions formally acknowledge receipts. Disbursement batches are publicly communicated. A dedicated department exists to receive, track, and resolve complaints from students and institutions alike. This culture of engagement marks a decisive break from the opaque interventions of the past and reflects a system still improving—but clearly working.
Across the country, a quieter but deeper response is unfolding. Parents—especially mothers—are praying, not protesting. They recognise in this scheme a government finally willing to confront educational exclusion structurally, not rhetorically. These prayers are not born of blind loyalty; they are grounded in visible relief and lived experience.
At the centre of this transformation stands a proactive, action-oriented Managing Director, supported by a focused Board and a committed team, whom GOD is evidently using to drive this mandate with clarity and urgency. With the unwavering backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the administration has made its position unmistakable: no Nigerian child should be legitimately denied access to tertiary education because of poverty.
And so, one must now ask the most uncomfortable but necessary question: who exactly are the enemies of progress calling this scheme a failure? By what metric is failure being measured—by the hundreds of thousands of students now retained in school, by the billions of naira transparently paid into public institutions, or by the unprecedented national coverage achieved within a short time? Are these critics truly in tune with what is happening inside our universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, or have they lost contact with the everyday realities on these campuses? Because no honest observer embedded in today’s public higher institutions can deny that something fundamentally positive is unfolding. To label this intervention a failure is not rigorous analysis; it is willful denial. And denial, in the face of verifiable progress, remains the final refuge of those who fear reform more than they value truth.
Ayinde O. Ayinde, PhD
Public Policy Analyst
Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria