By Felix Khanoba
The students wing of Coalition of Northern Groups has raised an alarm over alleged deliberate attempt to narrow the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) coverage in the Northern region.
The group, in a statement by its national coordinator, Hassan Adamu, said several tertiary education institutions in the northern part of the country have been left on the scheme.
“There is a deliberate attempt to narrow the NELFUND coverage in the Northern region as the total number of Federal and State tertiary institutions in the region is more than 96. In Zamfara state for instance only four (4) out of the Ten (10) public tertiary institutions were covered, Sokoto only 4, Kano only (4). 13 and so on.
“Priority was also given to federal institutions with few state-owned institution tertiary institutions taking advantage of the Student Loan Scheme to increase tuition fees for the 2024/2025 session, will abuse the scheme.
” The hike of tuition fees with the current economic reality will be a catastrophe to students and the scheme will be perceived as another form of extortion,” the group said in a statement obtained by The AUTHORITY correspondent in Abuja.
The CNG students wing, which said it has actively mobilised students for the NELFUND, expressed concerns that many northern institutions are still yet to be enlisted.
” The coalition of Northern groups students wing (CNG-SW) as vanguard of the Federal Government Students Loan Scheme, haven participated actively in sensitizing the students, parents and the general public about the Student Loan Scheme (Bill and Act) as well as sensitization and mobilization of students to apply for the loan; have critically studied and analysed the released of disbursement statistics by Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) across tertiary institutions in the Northern region.
“From the disbursement statistics over eighty-two thousand nine hundred and fifty-one (82,951) students across Forty-Five (45) institutions benefited from the region. It is imperative to clarify that out of the Two-Hundred and thirty-four (234) Federal and State tertiary institutions cleared by NELFUND for the first Phase only Ninety-six (96) were from the north; with Fifty-one (51) tertiary institutions yet to receive disbursement,” it said.
It, however, called on NELFUND to take concrete actions to remedy the situation.
” We call on NELFUND to expand their coverage as the total number of Federal and State tertiary institutions in the region are more than 96 institutions. This is to ensure access for all students.
” NELFUND should ensure early disbursement to institutions to avoid pressure on beneficiaries by management.
” Tertiary institutions are advised to refund beneficiaries their tuition fees in full. In a situation were by institution wishes to refund on instalment/percentage, reasons should be communicated to the beneficiaries
” Tertiary institutions should drop any agenda of increment of tuition fees; as the CNGSW will not tolerate hike in tuition at this material time.
” Tertiary institutions should also desist from setting deadline for beneficiaries to pay off their tuition fees, since NELFUND has made commitment and commence
disbursement,” the CNG students’ wing said.
On the current tax bills before the National Assembly, the group expressed concern that if scale through would have a major negative effect on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) which has been a major developer of tertiary institutions and at the same time prosper NELFUND thereby piling up debts for students.
“NELFUND is currently funded by 1% deduction collected from Taxes, levies, and duties collected by federal inland revenue service (FIRS), it will now receive 25% of the levy in 2025 and 2026, 33% from 2027 to 2029 And 100% by 2030 according to the new Tax Reform Bill.
“The implication of this is that, the proposed bill if passed will divert funds from critical sectors such as infrastructure, innovation initiatives with long-time development impact. It shifts attention to Students loan, this could also give reason for the public Tertiary institutions to increase their tuition fees. It could also make our public Tertiary institutions to be one revenue generating entity, paving way for privatization of our Tertiary institutions there by making it inaccessible to the masses. This will also saddle our youth with unsustainable debt burden,” it added.
