The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed strong opposition to its exclusion from the board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and has threatened to shut down the venue of the upcoming board meeting if a student representative is not included.
In a letter dated February 13, 2025, addressed to the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and the Board Chairman, Jim Ovia, NANS President Lucky Emonefe condemned the continued sidelining of students from the decision-making process, describing it as “completely unacceptable.”
The letter, referenced as NANS/VOL1/GA1/A254 and titled “Final Demand for Student Representation in the Scheduled NELFUND Board,” likened the exclusion of students from the board to an unjust decision made in their absence.
“We are writing to express our deep concern and outright discontent over the exclusion of students from the scheduled board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as the apex student body representing over 50 million students across the country, will not stand idly by while critical decisions affecting our future are made in our absence,” the letter stated.
“As the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, it is completely unacceptable that students are sidelined from deliberations that shape the administration and disbursement of student loans. This fund was created for Nigerian students, and we will have a voice in how it is managed.”
The student body insisted on immediate inclusion in the board meeting, making it clear that failure to meet this demand would lead to a total shutdown of the venue.
“We are demanding—not requesting—the immediate inclusion of a student representative in this board meeting.
“Failure to accommodate this legitimate and reasonable demand will result in the total shutdown of the meeting venue by Nigerian students. NANS will mobilize en masse to ensure that no meeting holds unless our representation is secured.
“This is not an appeal; it is a final warning. Nigerian students have exercised patience for too long. We refuse to be spectators in matters that directly affect our education, future, and welfare. No student, no meeting.”
DAILY GAZETTE reports that President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2024 into law in April 2024.
The Act outlines the composition of the NELFUND board, which includes representatives from key government agencies such as the Federal Ministries of Finance and Education, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the National Universities Commission (NUC), as well as representatives from tertiary student bodies, the organized private sector, and other relevant stakeholders.
Despite the law’s provisions, NANS argues that students have not been adequately represented in the board’s operations and insists that their voices must be heard in shaping the administration of student loans.
