NELFUND Board Member Critiques Atiku on Student Loans

Comrade Umar Farouk Lawal, representing students on the board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), responded to comments made by Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Lawal stated that there is no evidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered an increase in tuition fees at federal or state-owned tertiary institutions.

He challenged Atiku to provide any official documentation supporting his claims. Lawal described Atiku's allegations as misleading and emphasized that discussions regarding education should be based on verifiable facts.

He highlighted that NELFUND was established to assist students financially, with over 1.38 million beneficiaries and more than N242 billion disbursed for tuition and upkeep support as of April 2026. Lawal rejected the notion that NELFUND was merely a response to tuition fee increases, asserting it was designed to expand access to education.

He also called for clarity on what aspects of NELFUND Atiku intended to review and how any proposed changes would improve the current system.