More than one year after receiving letters of appointment from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, dozens of prospective employees are yet to assume duty, raising concerns over prolonged administrative delays and worsening economic hardship among affected families.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the recruits, who were issued employment letters dated January 14, 2025, have remained in limbo despite completing all required documentation and repeatedly appealing to relevant authorities for intervention.
The appointment letters, signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, indicated that the offers would take effect from the date of resumption. Successful candidates were also placed on a one-year probation period upon assumption of duty and directed to confirm acceptance within 14 days.
Findings showed that the affected candidates concluded their documentation on February 3, 2025, with assurances that resumption would follow shortly. However, about 18 months later, no official resumption date has been communicated.
Several of the recruits, who spoke through written petitions, said the delay had left them financially strained, with some having resigned from previous employment in anticipation of resuming their new roles.
In a letter dated January 27, 2026, addressed to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing, Ifeoluwa Ehindero, the group lamented the uncertainty surrounding their employment.
“It has been over a year since we received the notice, and despite our efforts to comply, we are yet to resume our duties,” the letter read.
The recruits added that the situation had negatively impacted their livelihoods and family stability, urging the lawmaker to facilitate a meeting to clarify their status and fast-track their resumption.
A follow-up letter dated February 10, 2026, reportedly yielded no response, prompting the group to escalate the matter to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, in May.
In their correspondence to the minister, the affected individuals detailed the sacrifices made after receiving the job offers.
“With joy, we left our former jobs and informed our families of a new beginning. Several months have passed, and we are yet to receive official communication on a definite resumption date,” they stated.
They described the prolonged wait as a source of financial, emotional and psychological strain, noting that many families who had relied on the promised employment now face growing uncertainty.
Despite the challenges, the recruits reaffirmed their commitment to the Federal Government’s student loan initiative, expressing readiness to contribute to its implementation.
“We remain deeply committed to the vision of NELFUND and the Renewed Hope Agenda to expand access to higher education through student loans,” they said.
In a reminder sent to the minister on June 16, 2026, the group warned that the delay had become increasingly traumatic and called for urgent intervention to resolve the impasse.
They urged the management of NELFUND and the Federal Ministry of Education to provide clarity on their employment status and announce a definite timeline for resumption.
As of the time of filing this report, neither NELFUND nor the ministry had issued an official response to the complaints.
For the affected recruits, the lingering uncertainty underscores not just a bureaucratic setback but a disruption of livelihoods, with many families still waiting for jobs they believed would commence early in 2025.
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