From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has urged the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to refund tuition fees paid by students who later received loan disbursements.
This addresses cases where students paid fees before NELFUND disbursed funds to the university.
At a sensitisation meeting with UNILAG students on Wednesday, May 21, NELFUND’s Managing Director, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, represented by Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Strategic Communications, said that the refund would address complaints from students who paid their fees before the Fund disbursed their loan payments to the university.
Sawyerr also reminded tertiary institutions of their agreement with NELFUND not to bar students from academic activities due to unpaid fees, particularly those verified under the loan scheme. He stressed ongoing sensitisation to boost student participation and urged beneficiaries planning to migrate to honour their loan repayment obligations abroad.
UNILAG’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, represented by Prof. Musa Obalola, Dean of Student Affairs, said that refunds have been made to a good number of students. She noted that the payment issue arose from a mismatch between NELFUND’s disbursement calendar and UNILAG’s academic schedule, urging students to provide accurate bank details for swift refunds.
She added that despite the modest fees in public universities, many students still struggle to pay. She praised the federal government’s zero-interest loan scheme for improving access to education.
NELFUND’s Head of IT, Mr Wale Ogunleye, stated that 7,112 UNILAG students had registered for the loan, 5,566 had been approved, and disbursements had been made to 4,636 students.
He urged applicants to meet eligibility criteria, including Nigerian citizenship, confirmed undergraduate admission, and uploading admission letters and student ID cards on the NELFUND portal.