The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to harmonise fee payment structures across Nigerian universities as part of efforts to streamline education financing.
This was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a meeting with Vice-Chancellors and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) on Wednesday in Abuja.
The committee, which includes representatives from NELFUND, the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and university officials, is tasked with creating a unified system for fee nomenclature and payment timelines across tertiary institutions.
Dr. Alausa noted that while Nigerian universities have been receiving student loan disbursements promptly, the process for notifying students and handling fee components requires better coordination.
Addressing concerns about discrepancies between institutional charges and NELFUND payments, the Minister attributed the issue to varying service charges imposed by different universities.
To resolve this, the committee will develop a transparent framework detailing the full structure of fees, including all mandatory service charges.
“Universities will disclose service charges upfront to avoid misunderstandings in refunded amounts.
“The current processes are working, but we are working to better the system we have now. The aim is to serve both NELFUND and our citizens more efficiently, and align with the broader agenda of the current administration,” said Dr. Alausa.
What the committee will do
One of the committee’s core mandates is to standardise the terminology used for student fees and charges.
Dr. Alausa stated that although the actual amounts may vary by institution, the use of common terms will help improve transparency and communication between institutions, NELFUND, and students.
“The committee will determine and publish standard timelines for when NELFUND will disburse funds and when universities must notify students,” he said.
- The committee has been given three weeks to submit its report. Once submitted, the government will publish the finalised guidelines for standardising fee payments across all tertiary institutions in the country.
- Dr. Alausa dismissed reports of fraud within the education loan scheme, countering earlier speculations raised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“There is no fraud in NELFUND,” he said.
Dr. Alausa reaffirmed that the government remains committed to a student-focused funding model to simplify processes and reduce confusion in university billing and loan disbursements.
What you should know
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had earlier launched an investigation after a media report alleged that 51 tertiary institutions were involved in making illegal deductions from students’ loans.
- ICPC later issued a clarification, explaining that it has not established any discrepancies or diversion of funds in the ongoing investigation of the Student Loan Scheme managed by NELFUND. The Commission admitted that the omission of the word “not” in its earlier statement created the false impression that fraud had already been detected in the scheme.
- Meanwhile, in response to the initial claims, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) stated that the financial figures being circulated are drawn from older education financing interventions that predate its official launch in 2024 and bear no connection to the current scheme.
The agency explained that all institutional fees are paid directly to verified institutions, while student upkeep allowances are credited to the verified bank accounts of eligible applicants.
