Nigerian students may be collecting education funds secretly, minister suggests

Nigerian students may be receiving funding from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) without their parents' awareness, according to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele.

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It is possible they’ve collected the money, and they are collecting from you.

During a media briefing in Abuja, Oyedele responded to a parent who stated his three children had not received funding. The minister advised the parent to ask his children directly about their applications and to demand proof. "It is possible they’ve collected the money, and they are collecting from you," Oyedele said, urging honesty from the students.

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You need to ask your children to be honest with you.

Oyedele highlighted that the NELFUND scheme offers more than just tuition, providing students with an interest-free monthly stipend. He mentioned that beneficiaries can access up to 1.5 million naira. He also encouraged parents to assist their children with the application process if they haven't already applied, directing them to the NELFUND website or the Ministry of Finance for help.

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We’ve seen video of student randomly rejoicing because it’s not only the tuition that was being paid, they get monthly stipend interest free in a high inflationary environment.

Interestingly, Oyedele observed that the uptake of the NELFUND support has been higher in the northern part of Nigeria than in the South. He attributed this, in part, to a general skepticism towards government initiatives in the South. He also shared personal anecdotes of supporting indigent students, noting that some continued to seek his help even after being directed to available government schemes.

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Interestingly, the uptake is more in the North than in the South because we spend all our energy here doubting everything that government does.