NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, released the list, saying the schools collected fees directly from students and later also received NELFUND disbursements for the same students without refunding the initial payments.
According to Afeez, the institutions cut across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in all six geopolitical zones.
He said the publication was to force transparency and ensure affected students get their money back immediately.
The schools named include Adamawa State University Mubi, Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Federal College of Education Yola, Kaduna State Polytechnic, Ogun State Institute of Technology Igbesa, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, University of Education Akamkpa, University of Uyo, Yobe State University Damaturu, Federal University Lafia, Modibbo Adama University Yola, Nasarawa State University Keffi and Federal College of Forestry Plateau State.
Also listed are Federal University of Education Pankshin, Federal Polytechnic Nyak, Plateau State University Bokkos, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Federal University of Education Zaria, Imo State University Owerri, Lagos State University of Education Ijanikin, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education Science and Technology Ikere-Ekiti, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology Wudil, Kano State College of Education and Preliminary Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki and Federal College of Education Katsina.
Others are College of Agriculture Science and Technology Lafia, University of Ilorin, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, University of Ilesa, Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences Ilese-Ijebu, Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko, Delta State University Abraka, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, University of Calabar, Rivers State University, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Port Harcourt, Federal College of Education Technical Gombe and Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic.
The NANS action followed a public notice by NELFUND last week condemning “unethical practices” by some institutions. The Fund, through its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, said it was concerned about schools delaying or refusing to refund students whose tuition had already been paid before NELFUND disbursements, and about arbitrary increases in charges.
NELFUND stated that the Student Loan Scheme of the Tinubu administration was designed to remove financial barriers to higher education, not to create additional burdens. It said it was engaging the affected institutions and relevant authorities to ensure refunds and fair charges.
The Fund began disbursing interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions in 2024 under the Student Loans Act.
Ministry Denies Minister Halted NELFUND Recruitment, Says Fund Is Overstaffed
By Chika Mefor-Nwachukwu
The Federal Ministry of Education has denied claims that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, is responsible for the delay in the resumption of newly recruited staff at the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), insisting that there was no approval for any recruitment exercise and that the agency is already overstaffed.
The denial comes in response to a report in a national daily on July 7, in which the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the minister had directed the agency to place an embargo on employment after it recruited dozens of staff in January 2025.
Sawyerr said the affected employees were recruited in good faith to support the Fund’s academic and skills acquisition mandate, but the minister’s directive had put the process on hold.
Credible sources at the ministry however told our correspondent on Tuesday that the report was “not only false but misleading.”
According to the sources, there was no approval from the board of NELFUND for the recruitment, and management had not formally reviewed or discussed any recruitment plans before the exercise was carried out.
The sources said the Executive Management team had earlier met with the Chairman of the Fund, Mr. Jim Ovia, in Lagos, where the chairman halted the ongoing recruitment proceedings and declared them unnecessary at the time.
The sources further disclosed that the chairman had instructed that those already recruited through the process should not be added to the organisation’s payroll and also ordered a comprehensive review of staff ranks to ensure transparency and compliance with organizational protocols.
The ministry sources described the current staffing situation at NELFUND as “alarming,” saying approximately 80 percent of the workforce is redundant.
“This issue was unanimously acknowledged at our recent management meeting, where all four key leaders agreed urgent action is required to resolve the redundancy crisis. At this stage, we simply cannot afford to increase staffing,” the source said.
The sources added that the intervention by the Minister of Education had been instrumental in averting organisational collapse.
According to report, affected employees who have received letters of engagement since January 14, 2025 and completed documentation by February 3, 2025, have remained in limbo for nearly 18 months.
NELFUND was established under the Student Loans Act to provide interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students and has since disbursed billions of naira in tuition and upkeep loans since commencing operations in 2024.
