The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has strongly refuted claims that universities in the South-East have been excluded from student loan disbursements.
The Fund emphasized that disbursements were made exclusively to eligible institutions that had completed a mandatory verification process.
This clarification follows concerns raised by an X user, Santiago Leo, who tweets under the handle #Donaldsplendo.
Leo observed that no institutions from Nigeria’s South-East region were among the 19 schools listed as recipients of the loans, as disclosed by NELFUND on Friday.
NELFUND, a body established by the Federal Government to manage student loan requests, grants, disbursements, and recoveries, reported that a total of N2,946,927,155 was distributed to 27,667 students from the 19 qualifying institutions nationwide.
Expressing his dismay, Leo tweeted, “Not surprised to see SE being neglected once again. No funds were allocated to students in UNIZIK, FUTO, MOUAU, and even the University of Nigeria (UNN). I’m pretty sure a lot of students in those schools applied for the loan just like every other Nigerian scholar. One Nigeria una (sic).”
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In a prompt response to the allegation, NELFUND, via its official handle #NELFUND, addressed the concerns, stating, “Thank you for your concern. It is important to clarify that geopolitical zones are not a factor in the disbursement process.
“NELFUND sent a verification list to every institution eligible for disbursement. Payments are being made to institutions that have responded to this verification.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet received any response from the institutions in the South-East. We urge these institutions to complete the verification process so that their students can benefit from the scheme.”
The Fund’s statement underscores its commitment to ensuring an equitable distribution process, dependent solely on institutional compliance with the verification requirements, rather than regional considerations.
