WHAT HAPPENED TO NELFUND IN OOU?
By Elizabeth Ogunleye
The SUG Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abimbola Popoola (Honourable AB), has shed light on the current situation of NELFUND in OOU, via her X (formerly Twitter) account.
This action is a response to the drawing deadline for the course form registration, as some students who applied for student loans are yet to pay their tuition fees due to their loans not being disbursed.
She tweeted: "NELFUND, several OOU students put their trust in this initiative, but sadly, their studentship is now on the line. Quite a number that applied are yet to be verified, while the ones verified, are still inactive (yet to be disbursed).
"Registration for courses ends in 2 weeks, and students cannot register for courses because they’re yet to pay their school fees.
We appreciate that @officialABAT has the Nigerian student in his heart, but we need to know if we should still put our trust in this initiative."
A few days after the tweet, Honourable AB tweeted the update of the loan again on her X page.
"For students whose loans have been verified, NELFUND has sent a list to the institution, the institution has responded and is currently awaiting disbursement. Students who fall in this category will not be affected when the portal is locked," she tweeted.
Her post, which sparked reactions from students, made students like @oluwada97768871 express sheer frustration, saying, “It has been more than two months since I applied for this loan, but I have not been verified yet. I haven’t paid my school fees; I’m just tired of everything.”
Another student, @KoyeDG, was more skeptical, calling the initiative “dead on arrival".
“It’s just a political tool to score points and not to help the majority of students amid this hike in fees. No student should put their faith in them.”
Others, like @Ganad∅∅1, voiced their desperation: “OOUites have high hopes on the loan! Many have not even been verified. @NELFUND, please do something!” Similarly, @henroe_ayo noted, “The amount of students who are relying heavily on this loan is overwhelming. NELFUND, please come to our aid.”
Honourable AB, during an interview with Campus Mirror, shed light on the issue, describing NELFUND as “a generous initiative of President Bola Tinubu, to ensure that an average Nigerian has access to quality education, irrespective of economic situation and to alleviate the financial burden of Nigerian families.”
However, despite its promise, the initiative faces significant hurdles. Honorable AB revealed that over a thousand OOU students applied, but delays in verification and disbursement have become major stumbling blocks. “Long duration before verification is a major issue for most applicants,” she said.
The SUG, however, has taken proactive measures to address these concerns, engaging both the university and NELFUND management.
“We have taken proactive steps, requesting updates from the management and communicating with the NELFUND management simultaneously. A few days ago, I reached out to the NELFUND management via the X app, and a response was given. I have also contacted their personnel to complain about some of our students who are yet to be verified, and updates will be communicated soon.”
Despite these efforts, no timeline for disbursement has been confirmed. With course registration set to close in a matter of days, the SUG assures students that those affected by the delays will not face penalties. Miss Popoola shared that the Union President has personally secured this guarantee, stating that “affected students by the NELFUND application will be pardoned by management.”
Still, the delays have led to doubts about the reliability of the initiative. When asked if students should continue trusting NELFUND, Miss Popoola said, “I have my doubts, but I am in no position to discourage students from applying. I encourage students to enjoy this benefit provided by the government as lawful citizens.” She also urged students to explore alternative solutions while awaiting verification.
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