The National Association of Nigerian Students has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to submit their student data to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
This warning was given to ensure that students can apply for loans and that NELFUND can process these applications.
NANS National President, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, announced on Monday that the ultimatum is necessary due to the July 12 deadline set by NELFUND for institutions to upload their student data.
“The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is appalled by the update from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), stating that many higher institutions have failed to upload their students’ data on the board’s portal,” Emonefe said. “This comes in light of the deadline of July 12, 2024, issued by the management of NELFUND for the submission of students’ data.”
Emonefe expressed disappointment over the lack of urgency shown by some institutions in submitting student data. He emphasized that NANS will keep monitoring the situation to ensure full compliance with NELFUND’s requirements.
“NANS frowns at this development as it shows a lack of commitment and urgency on the part of the remaining state higher institutions in Nigeria. NELFUND was established to provide interest-free loans to students in need, and it is disheartening to see that some institutions are not taking advantage of this limited opportunity for their students,” he said.
He further urged the management of these institutions to prioritize uploading their student data before the deadline, stating, “Education is a fundamental right, and every student deserves access to financial support to further their studies.”
NANS will continue to monitor the situation closely and call on the remaining institutions to ensure that all students can benefit from the loan scheme. “We will not stand by and allow any student to be denied access to education due to administrative negligence. Failure to make this provision available to the NELFUND portal within the next 48 hours will leave us with the only option of rolling out our action plans against the erring institutions,” Emonefe warned.
