By Zainab Bakare
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has launched an investigation into 34 tertiary institutions over allegations that they failed to refund students whose tuition fees were paid twice under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this during a televised interview, saying the probe was triggered by a growing number of petitions from affected students.
Sawyerr explained that the double-payment issue arose because the student loan scheme commenced midway through an academic session, after many students had already paid their tuition fees before subsequently benefiting from the loan programme.
He noted that while NELFUND pays tuition fees directly to institutions on behalf of beneficiaries, it is the responsibility of the institutions to refund students who had made prior payments.
According to him, the agency is working closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and internal auditors to investigate the complaints and ensure accountability.
He said preliminary findings show that while some institutions processed refunds without delay, others are yet to do so. However, he stressed that investigations are still ongoing to determine whether the delays were deliberate or the result of administrative bottlenecks.
To improve transparency and eliminate future payment disputes, Sawyerr revealed that NELFUND plans to introduce a token-based electronic payment system that will allow students to authorise tuition payments directly to their institutions.
He also disclosed that the agency has withheld payments to institutions that increased tuition fees beyond acceptable limits after the introduction of the student loan scheme, reiterating that NELFUND has no legal mandate to prosecute defaulting institutions or compel them to issue refunds.
The investigation is expected to strengthen oversight of the student loan programme and ensure beneficiaries receive the full financial support intended under the Federal Government’s education financing initiative.
