Student Loans Have No Political Bias, NELFUND Chief Says

Nigeria’s student-loan system cannot identify or favor political supporters because its application process does not collect political affiliation, Nigerian Education Loan Fund chief Akintunde Sawyerr said.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program, Sawyerr called the allegation “completely ridiculous.” Applicants must provide basic information, including their names and matriculation numbers, and must attend a public institution. The system, he said, was not programmed to determine whether a student belongs to a political party.

Sawyerr also rejected claims of bias based on religion, ethnicity or gender. He said the fund’s system focuses on Nigerians who meet the eligibility requirements and has no view about whether an applicant is Christian, Muslim or a follower of an African traditional religion.

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It is a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party.

He said demand for the loans had been overwhelming, while emphasizing that applications are processed electronically and grants go only to students considered eligible. NELFUND provides interest-free loans to eligible students in public tertiary institutions for institutional fees and monthly upkeep allowances.

The fund separately described as fake news a circulating image claiming that President Bola Tinubu had announced life imprisonment for students who fail to repay their education loans after graduation.

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There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end.