The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has revealed that it has disbursed N59.8 billion to students across the country under its student loan scheme as of June 5, 2025. The announcement came via a status report released on Saturday.
According to the report, a total of 298,124 students have benefited from the scheme. A breakdown shows that N30.2 billion went toward institutional fees, while N29.6 billion was allocated for students’ upkeep.
However, the announcement has triggered a wave of backlash online, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where several students have accused the agency of non-payment despite receiving notifications that their April upkeep allowance had been disbursed.
Many students who are part of the loans scheme are now voicing their frustration, alleging incompetence and lack of transparency on the part of NELFUND. One X user, @Temmy_Dayo__, called out the agency:
“Even our April payment status is showing ‘disbursed’ when we have not received any upkeep at all. You people are thieves. You people are not transparent at all,” he wrote angrily.
Another user, @Roshmancrypto, shared a similar concern:
“Haven’t seen my April upkeep and it is showing ‘disbursed’.”
Isaiah Utitofon (@Joepride15) was even more critical, calling the disbursement figures “lies” and saying:
“Bunch of bloody liarrsss. April upkeep I never see, on top loan wey I go pay back, una dey do anyhow.”
Similarly, @AreeceMeme04 posted:
“Many of us haven’t seen our April upkeep like myself but you guys drop statistics every time. NELFUND pay our upkeep ohh.”
As of the time of filing this 9am News report, NELFUND has not issued any public response to the flood of complaints from its beneficiaries. Many students are demanding immediate clarity on the status of their upkeep payments, particularly for April and May.
In a related development, Nairametrics recently reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced a comprehensive investigation into alleged irregularities in the disbursement process under NELFUND. The probe was launched following concerns over N71.2 billion in unaccounted funds.
The controversy raises serious questions about the transparency and efficiency of the NELFUND student loan scheme. With tens of thousands of students depending on this support for survival and education, unresolved issues like these risk eroding public trust in the initiative.
Meanwhile, calls are growing for NELFUND and the Federal Ministry of Education to address the complaints, verify the alleged discrepancies, and ensure that all disbursed funds reach the intended beneficiaries.
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