The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a federal government initiative introduced to support tertiary education students with interest-free loans, continues to dominate conversations online — but not for all the right reasons.
While some Nigerian students have applauded the program for easing the burden of tuition and monthly upkeep, others have taken to social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), to lament the delays and inconsistencies in disbursement.
📚 What is NELFUND Promising?
According to official statements on nelf.gov.ng and their verified social media handles, NELFUND covers:
Full tuition fees for eligible students in public tertiary institutions.
Monthly upkeep allowance, intended to support daily living expenses during academic sessions.
Interest-free repayment structure that kicks in only after beneficiaries gain employment post-graduation.
In an official tweet, NELFUND stated:
> “The money for your tuition and upkeep is already waiting. You just need to apply. It’s an interest-free loan, so you won’t owe more than you get.”
They’ve urged students to begin or complete their application via the official website, with the process reportedly streamlined to avoid bureaucratic hurdles.
❗But Here's the Other Side: “Where’s Our Upkeep?”
Despite the well-meaning promise of financial relief, scores of students are voicing frustration over delayed disbursements, lack of transparency, and zero customer support. Many claim their applications have been verified for months — some as far back as April 2024 — yet they have received neither tuition support nor the upkeep stipend.
Here are real-time comments currently trending online:
💬 "Dear NELFUND, my loan has been verified since April 11th, but I’ve not received any disbursement. I already paid my school fees by myself due to the delay. I urgently need the upkeep allowance to meet my daily needs. I am a student of Lagos State University (LASU)."
💬 "Wetin UNIOSUN students do una? Thank you for the tuition loan, but we never see any upkeep, and it has been verified for months now!"
💬 "I'm tired of waiting for the upkeep I applied for. It’s been verified and approved since last year, yet not a single kobo has been paid to me."
One particular user wrote:
> "Very soon we will all mobilize and start reporting this very useless account since you don’t reply to people’s comments or complaints. Just say make I warn you..."
Even students who had initially received consistent upkeep payments say they’ve now been cut off without explanation.
💬 “@NELFUND pls what's this? I’ve been receiving my upkeep from January till June 18th, but now for July, nothing came. I checked the portal again today...still nothing!”
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🧩 A Disconnected Promise?
Many analysts believe that NELFUND, though noble in vision, is struggling with implementation, communication, and customer support. While it has the potential to revolutionize education financing in Nigeria, trust is already waning due to these recurring issues.
As one observer put it:
> “It’s not just about announcing a loan scheme. The execution must be transparent, timely, and equitable.”
✅ Final Thoughts: Apply or Wait?
If you're a student and you haven’t applied yet, you can still do so at nelf.gov.ng — but manage your expectations and monitor updates regularly. For those already enrolled and waiting, it's advisable to keep screenshots of your application status, maintain documentation, and tag @nelfund on social media for visibility.
#NELFUND #StudentLoansNigeria #UpkeepAllowance #NigerianStudents #EduFundingCrisis #LASU #UNIOSUN #KSU #TuitionSupport
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