The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has temporarily excluded students in private universities from its student loan scheme due to higher fees, limited financial data, and funding constraints.
Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr provided the explanation during an interview on Arise Television on December 18, 2025.
He stated that private institutions charge more, while accurate information on students’ financial capacity remains unavailable, leading to reliance on a broad assessment approach.
Sawyerr noted that financially constrained students tend to attend public institutions, making them the initial priority under the current resource-limited framework.
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He emphasised that the exclusion is not permanent, with ongoing discussions involving President Bola Tinubu to eventually extend coverage to all Nigerians through potential law amendments.
Sawyerr assured that political will exists to support universal access once resources allow and priority needs in public institutions are met.
He confirmed the application process remains politically neutral, as the NELFUND portal collects no data on party affiliation, ethnicity, or region.
Over 1.27 million applications have been received since May 2024, with nearly 789,000 approved and N154.37 billion disbursed for fees and upkeep.
This phased approach addresses Nigeria’s large youth population and underfunding of public tertiary institutions, aiming to enhance equitable access within fiscal limits.
