JUST IN: NANS Set to Disrupt NELFUND Board Meeting Over Representation

• The letter addressed to NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr and Board Chairman Jim Ovia, the letter warns that NANS will mobilize its members to prevent the upcoming Board meeting from taking place unless a student representative is appointed.
• NANS President Lucky Emonefe expressed the organization’s discontent with the continued exclusion of student representation, labeling it “completely unacceptable.”

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a stern warning to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), demanding the immediate inclusion of a student representative on its Board, Eko Hot Blog reports.

In a letter dated February 13, 2025, NANS President Lucky Emonefe expressed the organization’s discontent with the continued exclusion of student representation, labeling it “completely unacceptable.”

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The letter addressed to NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr and Board Chairman Jim Ovia, the letter warns that NANS will mobilize its members to prevent the upcoming Board meeting from taking place unless a student representative is appointed.

Emonefe’s message carries a strong tone, emphasizing that it is “not an appeal but a final warning to the Board to do the right thing.”

The Reference Number for the letter, NANS/VOL1/GA1/ A254, is titled “Final Demand for Student Representation in the Scheduled NELFUND Board.”

In his statement, Emonefe compares the exclusion of students from the NELFUND Board to “shaving a man’s head in his absence. ”

The letter reads: “We are writing to express our deep concern and outright discontent over the exclusion of students from the scheduled board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as the apex student body representing over 50 million students across the country, will not stand idly by while critical decisions affecting our future are made in our absence.

“As the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, it is completely unacceptable that students are sidelined from deliberations that shape the administration and disbursement of student loans.

“This fund was created for Nigerian students, and we will have a voice in how it is managed.

“We are demanding—not requesting—the immediate inclusion of a student representative in this board meeting.

“Failure to accommodate this legitimate and reasonable demand will result in the total shutdown of the meeting venue by Nigerian students. NANS will mobilize en masse to ensure that no meeting holds unless our representation

“This is not an appeal; it is a final warning. Nigerian students have exercised patience for too long. We refuse to be spectators in matters that directly affect our education, future, and welfare. No student, no meeting.”

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In April 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2024 into law.

The Act provides for Board members drawn from relevant ministries, regulatory bodies, and participating agencies, including the Federal Ministries of Finance and Education.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Universities Commission (NUC), representatives of students of tertiary institutions, organized private sector and others.

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