By Felix Khanoba
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has dismissed reports suggesting that 88,136 students were unable to access its loan application process.
In a statement released on Sunday, NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, clarified that the report misrepresented the situation, emphasizing that no systemic barriers exist in the loan application process.
“The attention of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has been drawn to a recent publication titled ‘88,136 Students Unable to Apply for NELFUND Loans’ in the Punch Newspaper, which appears to misrepresent the student loan application process,” Oluwatuyi said.
She explained that the disparity between the number of students registered on the NELFUND portal and those who completed loan applications is not indicative of difficulties in applying.
“Not all students who register on the NELFUND portal immediately proceed to complete their loan applications. Some choose to delay their applications for personal or academic calendar-related reasons,” she added.
Highlighting the portal’s activity, Oluwatuyi noted that NELFUND averages 1,000 new registrations and 2,000 loan applications daily. This, she said, reflects the flexibility of the system, allowing students to apply at their own pace.
“Many students who registered earlier often return to complete their applications at a later time,” the statement added.
NELFUND urged the media to seek accurate information and avoid publishing misleading conclusions about the loan application process.
