‘N355.9bn NELFUND loans at risk as repayment nears’

Vanguard News | 08-09-2026 07:59am |

The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed N355.87 billion in student loans to about 850,000 beneficiaries since its portal launched in May 2024. However, a policy think tank, the iRead To Live Initiative, warns that the scheme's repayment architecture is untested and could face recovery challenges. In a policy brief titled 'Can NELFUND Sustain Itself? Financing Nigeria's Student Loan Scheme,' the group urges the government to integrate NELFUND with income data from the Nigeria Revenue Service to track beneficiaries, especially self-employed graduates. The recommendation aims to improve loan recovery as repayments are expected to begin.

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