By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has emerged as the driving force behind the turnaround at the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, moving the scheme from delayed promises to bank alerts that students can spend.
The shift became evident on Friday, 24 July, 2026 when NELFUND commenced payment of June and July upkeep allowances to eligible beneficiaries across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
With the disbursement, students received ₦40,000 to clear the two outstanding months, after many had earlier received the ₦20,000 May allowance within the previous two weeks. The development, which cleared the backlog for June and July 2026, immediately sparked spontaneous celebrations on campuses, with beneficiaries singing Omológo and sharing bank alerts on social media.
The impact, students and observers said, reflects months of ministerial oversight aimed at fixing the administrative bottlenecks that had threatened public confidence in the Tinubu administration’s flagship education intervention.
While NELFUND, under Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Akintunde Sawyerr, processes payments, Alausa’s influence has played out through policy direction and institutional reforms.
In May 2025, concerns emerged over the administration of student loans and alleged deductions involving tertiary institutions. Alausa responded by convening a strategic meeting with vice-chancellors of federal universities, the National Universities Commission and NELFUND management.
Although investigations at the time did not establish misappropriation of funds, the minister acknowledged structural weaknesses in the financial relationship between NELFUND and institutions.
That meeting, officials said, set the stage for a broader review. By August 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education announced new guidelines following recommendations from a ministerial committee on NELFUND. The committee was tasked with improving the system after complaints about its administration.
Its recommendations subsequently introduced a harmonized fee nomenclature for tertiary institutions, timelines for internal verification and disbursement, clearer communication channels with students, and a uniform refund policy. For students, those procedures determined whether an approved allowance arrived promptly or stalled indefinitely.
Alausa has consistently framed the intervention as part of government’s effort to ensure that financial constraints do not deny Nigerians access to education. By April 2026, he disclosed that NELFUND had disbursed more than ₦200 billion to over 1.1 million students nationwide. The Fund has also crossed the 1 million student loan applications mark, with ₦116 billion already disbursed, according to NELFUND’s latest update.
The latest payment drew immediate reactions from beneficiaries who described it as a timely intervention.
Students noted that the upkeep allowance would help them meet pressing needs including transportation, feeding, study materials and other essential expenses.
Many beneficiaries further praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for introducing the student loan programme, saying it has restored hope to thousands of Nigerian students pursuing higher education amid prevailing economic challenges.
They added that the initiative has significantly eased the financial burden on parents and guardians while enabling students to remain focused on their studies.
NELFUND’s leadership also came in for commendation. Students described Sawyerr’s stewardship as responsive and committed to the welfare of Nigerian students, noting that the simultaneous payment of June and July allowances demonstrated the Fund’s resolve to address previous delays and improve efficiency.
The road to the July disbursement was not smooth. Complaints trailed the prolonged delay in upkeep payments, with many beneficiaries taking to social media to express frustration over the uncertainty. Some students said the delays disrupted their plans and left them struggling to meet basic needs.
Others appealed to the Fund to establish a more predictable payment schedule and improve communication whenever there are delays.
An X user, Heis MusteeB @haruna33704833, captured the prevailing concern. “Please, upkeep should be the main focus now. Imagine students on regular programmes who cannot work while studying because lectures alone take two-thirds of their day… finding it difficult to study because of financial constraints. Things are hard on students, please!!” he wrote.
The National Association of Nigerian Students stepped in to calm nerves. In a statement, NANS National President, Akinteye Afeez, said the student body had received assurances that all outstanding backlogs would be settled as disbursements continue in batches.
“The payment of June and July NELFUND upkeep allowances has officially commenced. As I assured you, every outstanding backlog will be paid. We remain committed to ensuring that no eligible Nigerian student is left behind,” Afeez said.
He further appealed to beneficiaries yet to receive their allowances to remain calm and patient, explaining that payments were being processed in batches, and reaffirmed NANS’ commitment to engaging stakeholders to ensure the seamless implementation of the scheme.
The contrast in public perception has not escaped notice. While opposition figures have been on the road engaging content creators, the Tinubu administration has pointed to NELFUND as evidence of tangible impact on young Nigerians.
Alausa’s contribution, analysts noted, has been to insist that a policy on paper must translate into money in pockets. By pushing for standardized processes, transparency and accountability, he has helped reposition NELFUND as an institution focused on delivery rather than announcements.
For the students who received ₦40,000 last week, the measure of leadership was simple. It was not a slogan. It was transport fare, meals for several days, data for research, and relief for parents.
As NELFUND works to sustain regular disbursements, the test ahead remains clear: turn the clearance of this backlog into a predictable system where allowances arrive on time, communication is proactive, and no eligible student is left behind.
