By: Luqman Kamaldeen Oladayo
Ikpechi Johnson, a final year student of Engineering at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), watched his NELFUND portal display a single word—“initializing” for five months, while his rent, debts, and worries continued to grow.
Speaking with Pen Press UDUS, he narrated how his application for refund was still pending till he resumed another academic session. When the status later changed to “approved” Johnson rejoiced temporarily while still waiting for the deposit of the money to his account.
Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is a Federal Government initiative established in 2023 to provide interest-free loans for tuition and stipends to students in public tertiary institutions. It aims to reduce financial barriers to higher education, with loans paid directly to institutions and, for upkeep, to students.
However, the payment of registration fees, in many institutions, precedes the disbursement of the tuition loan, making it paramount for students to pay by themselves and apply for refunds after NELFUND’s disbursement.
For months, tuition refunds that are meant to ease the burdens of UDUS students remained out of reach, leaving some stranded, indebted, and uncertain about their academic future. In a country where other universities whose students’ benefits from NELFUND refund students within days, UDUS on the other hand, subject its students to a series of adventures before paying them.
“The population was hell. It seems no one has gotten the refund for the last academic session,” Johnson said, recounting his experience after he visited the bursary for physical application. He left while wondering why the process was that slow to put students through such toil.
NELFUND Serves as His Last Hope
As Johnson consistently pressed the refunding process, another academic session had begun and rent needed to be paid. He shared how his roommates had to pay fully for the apartment they live in because he couldn’t get the refund. “ I don’t think I would have somewhere to stay since resumption if my roommate did not pay for me,” he laments.
Being a final year student, he needs to clear all debt and avoid distractions as an uncompromised attention is needed before expenses for his project intensify.
“I’m highly disappointed in the school. I never expected such an incident in a 2nd generation university like UDUS,” Johnson said as he explained how he held UDUS in high esteem and how the situation broke his hearts.
For Hassan Habeebah, a 400 level law student. A friend had told her that collecting NELFUND isn’t a good idea even if she needs it, as the refunding process is always stressful and endless. The timely monthly upkeep she received went smoothly which made her forget the warning she received earlier.
But after applying for her refund in September, 2025. No changes occurred despite consistent follow up. On one of those days she went there to complain, she collected the bursar’s number and called several times to no avail.
Habibah’s determination to get her refund was in utmost alignment with the purpose of the loan as she intends to use the money to pay her tuition fee for the new academic session. This has not ceased to put her in a state of unrest as examinations are set to begin in a few weeks.
“I have told them at home not to worry about school fees, hoping that I would get refunded,” she noted.
She explained how she has missed lectures just because she had to join an endless queue in bursary sections everyday. Neither was she attended to, nor got any updates from the management.
Students’ Voices are Unanimous
Notwithstanding the different experience that refunding processes had given them, Habeebah’s and Johnson’s desire is for NELFUD to stop disbursing the loan to the school instead, the money should be sent to students’ account directly.
Through this, the disbursement process would be fast without any iota of stress and compromise from either the beneficiaries or the management.
“Submitting form 02 and other documents which are already at the disposal of the management is unnecessary,” they added.
Legal Intervention Weighs in
Not long after students resume the new academic session of 2025/2026. The refunding process was still gregarious as a large number of students expected their refund. Then a human rights and public interest lawyer, Barrister Jariri appeared to amplify the voice of thousands of UDUS students.
While speaking with Pen Press reporter, Barrister Jariri, the principal partner of A.M. Jariri & Co. explained that his intervention was made necessary after some UDUS students, some of whom he knows physically approached him and tagged him to numerous posts on social media.
“These students claimed the school has neglected their plights. That is why I decided to formally write to the University,” he explained.
He further firmly stated how the rights of the affected students are being infringed upon for subjecting them to such strenuous exercise before the management refunds them.
A Rejection of a Polite Request
Barrister Jariri’s formal petition dated 19th January, 2026 was addressed to the Vice Chancellor’s office through the Registrar.
“Petition brought pursuant to section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011; 36 and 39 of the 199 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) on failure to refund registration fees paid by students despite payment by NELFUND,” the letter reads.
However, the petition was rejected at the first instance as the secretary at the registry refused to collect the letter from the messenger after he went through the contents. He recounted how he decided to come back himself to submit the petition and how he was sent back and forth between the Vice Chancellor’s office and the office of the registrar .
“The registrar still rejected the letter. It made me wonder how a public official who’s always answerable would not want to collect a letter formally directed to him,” he opined.
With such experience, the impression of how the management treats students’ complaints became obvious and genuine to him after he was subjected to similar treatment.
“This is what made us go on social media to make our intention to sue the UDUS management known, if they would not honor the letter,” he added.
A Call for Amicable Settlement
Following the initial altercation between the management and Barrister Jariri, some members of the academics reached out to him and was invited by the Director of Security Services (DSS) and they promised to arrange an amicable settlement before taking the matter to the court.
Afterwards, he acknowledged how some students reached out to him claiming that they have been refunded while a larger number still sleeps on the brim of hope–eager to obtain their money from the management.
“Only about 30 percent of the total students that made complaints got their refund. But, this is far from what we expected,” he said
Jamilu Abubakar, while speaking with a Pen Press reporter, in alignment with the response by Barriter Jariri, purported how the petition took effect as he was refunded not long after the information reached him.
“That action triggered the University to pay and I was lucky to be among the few that got refunded,” he noted.
While the University after receiving the petition has failed to make known to the students and the populace, the legal basis of their withholding the money despite having received the money from NELFUND. Barrister Jariri affirmed his stance as he set to sue the management if the amicable settlement isn’t honored as necessary.
“If there’s no response from the University. Then, we will approach the court to make sure that these students’ rights are being protected by the law,” he concluded.
Students’ Union Came to Rescue
Following concerns raised by students regarding delays and inconsistencies in refund disbursement, the Students’ Union led by the Chairman, Comrade Tasiu Aminu has on Wednesday, 21st January, 2026 met with the University Bursary Division to discuss the state of students’ refunds under the NELFUND Scheme and State Scholarship Programmes.
The post made by the Union and signed by comrade Tasi’u Aminu and announced by the SU-CTC Public Relations Officer, Baffa Ibrahim Jafar on its official Facebook page reads: “The union operates an official students’ Union Complaint Desk, through which students are encouraged to consult for prompt attention and response.”
The NELFUND Officer, Mallam Sifiyanu Koko, while in the meeting assured the Students’ Union that progress has been made in the refund process. According to him, 90 percent of the approved refunds have already been successfully disbursed, while the remaining percentage has been uploaded and is currently awaiting final processing.
Malam Hassan further clarified that not all students are eligible for refunds. Only students who personally paid their school fees or benefited from approved scholarship schemes are entitled to refunds. Students who neither paid their school fees themselves nor received scholarships are therefore not eligible for any refund.
A resolution was made at the end, that any student under the NELFUND Scheme or Scholarship Programme who has not received a refund for the 2024/2025 academic session should write a formal letter to the Bursary Division through the Students’ Union. The letter should contain: Full name of the applicant, course of study, level, academic session and State of origin.
Reasons for the refund request and relevant documents are also encouraged to be attached and submitted to the Head of the Students’ Union Complaint Desk via 0706 083 3853.