- the agency confirmed that N107,086,869,491 has been paid directly to 265 institutions to cover tuition fees,
- The Fund also advised institutions yet to begin the 2025 academic session to formally request an extension
- According to him, the decision was aimed at giving every qualified Nigerian student sufficient time to apply and benefit
The student application portal of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is set to close today (Friday), with the scheme recording 1,696,316 applications nationwide since it was launched on May 24, 2024.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Data from the Fund’s latest Daily Status Report shared on its official X platform shows that 983,706 students have so far benefited from the initiative.
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Submissions continued to increase up until the final day, rising by 0.8 per cent compared to the previous day, an additional 12,776 applications.
On disbursement, the agency confirmed that N107,086,869,491 has been paid directly to 265 institutions to cover tuition fees, while N76,798,940,000 has been released to students as upkeep allowances. Altogether, N183,885,809,491 had been disbursed under the programme as of February 1, 2026.
Earlier, on February 25, NELFUND announced via its X account that the portal would shut on February 27, urging eligible students to complete their applications before the deadline.
The Fund also advised institutions yet to begin the 2025 academic session to formally request an extension and attach their approved academic calendar for review.
In January, the agency extended the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session from January 31 to February 27 to allow more students to finalise their submissions.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the extension underscored the agency’s commitment to ensuring wider access to the scheme.
According to him, the decision was aimed at giving every qualified Nigerian student sufficient time to apply and benefit.
NELFUND was created to manage the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme, signed into law by Bola Tinubu in April 2024.
The programme offers interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions, covering tuition and living expenses, with the goal of easing financial challenges and expanding access to higher education, particularly for those from low-income families.
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