Education

NELFUND Debunk allegations of student loan misappropriation

Published

7 months ago

May 2, 2025

Mariam Abeeb

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) said it is alarmed by the recent surge of what it described as inaccurate, misleading, and dangerously speculative reports circulating in the public space regarding the administration of the student loan scheme.

The Fund in a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, said the reports, which suggested misappropriation and mismanagement of funds, were “entirely false, grossly irresponsible, and deeply damaging to the integrity of an institution established to deliver financial hope to millions of Nigerians.”

Recall that the ICPC on Thursday said it uncovered billions of naira meant for the student loan scheme.

“This is a coordinated distortion of facts that undermines public trust, weaponises misinformation, and threatens the credibility of a national intervention still in its infancy,” Oluwatuyi said in the statement.

Speaking further, the Fund said that while no funds had been mismanaged, institutional fees were paid directly to verified institutions while upkeep allowances were disbursed to verified bank accounts of eligible students.

“The figures and funding amounts currently being misrepresented in the public are drawn from entirely different education financing interventions predating NELFUND’s operational commencement.

“They bear no relevance to the current student loan scheme and should not be falsely attributed to this institution,” the statement added.

It, however, noted that it remained committed to transparency and cooperation with oversight committees, including the ICPC.

“NELFUND operates a zero human interface, fully automated loan system that eliminates opportunities for financial misconduct. Every application and disbursement is digitally tracked, time-stamped, and verifiable.

“Our commitment to transparency and cooperation with oversight agencies, including the ICPC, is total and unwavering. “We have complied fully with every request for information and will continue to uphold the highest standards of public accountability,” it added.

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Education

Athena Centre Appointed to NGREN Board as Federal Government Deepens Data-Driven Governance

Published

1 day ago

November 29, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has been appointed to the Governing Board of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN)/Tertiary Education Research Applications and Services (TERAS). NgREN -Nigeria’s national research and education backbone – provides high-speed connectivity, shared digital services, and collaboration infrastructure for universities and research institutions, while TERAS powers the digital applications that support research, data exchange, and digital learning across the tertiary system.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the center’s Media and Communications Officer Paul Liam.

The new NgREN/TERAS Board was inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, at the Nigeria National EdTech Strategy Mid-Term Co-Creation Workshop, hosted with support from Mastercard Foundation and the World Bank Group.

The Board includes the Executive Secretaries of NUC, NBTE, NCCE, and TETFund; representatives of vice chancellors, rectors, and provosts; and major digital infrastructure stakeholders such as NCC, Galaxy Backbone, and USPF. The Athena Centre joins the Board as the civil society voice.

In his remarks, Dr. Alausa acknowledged the Centre’s role in shaping national transparency reforms, noting that the Ministry’s Federal Tertiary Institutions Governance Transparency Portal (FTIGTP) drew inspiration from Athena’s research and advocacy.

He expressed confidence that the reconstituted Board will deliver measurable improvements within two years to strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem and digital readiness.

Representing the Centre on the Board, its Chancellor, Chief Osita Chidoka, OFR, commended the Ministry’s commitment to transparency and evidence-based reform.Reaffirming the Ministry’s digital direction, Dr. Alausa stated: “For the first time, Nigeria is building a unified data architecture for basic, secondary, and tertiary institutions. You cannot reform what you cannot measure, and we are determined to measure what matters.”

Echoing the need for interoperability, Dr. Tijani emphasised the importance of shared digital infrastructure, noting:“Digital transformation fails when systems operate in silos. Our priority is a national architecture where platforms talk to each other and every school is connected.”

Chidoka welcomed the digital innovation underway but stressed the importance of deeper inclusion of state governments, who own and manage most Nigerian schools, in planning, implementation, and financing.

According to him:“For education to succeed, states must invest, lead, and commit. The Federal Government must coordinate and support, but it cannot carry the burden of school management alone.”

The Athena Centre reaffirmed its commitment to supporting federal and state governments in strengthening education data systems, digital governance, and transparent accountability.Media Contact:

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