ActionAid Nigeria has called for an urgent investigation and suspension of institutional heads implicated in alleged fraud within the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by its Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, the organization expressed outrage over reports that more than 50 tertiary institutions across the country inflated fees, withheld refunds, and financially exploited students applying for relief through the student loan programme.
“This is not merely administrative misconduct; it is corruption in education institutions at its core,” Mamedu stated. He lamented that the implicated institutions had betrayed public trust and undermined transparency, equity, and social justice. According to him, fee hikes ranging from ₦2,500 to ₦30,000 per student, when multiplied across thousands of students, have resulted in a multi-million-naira scandal.
“This scandal is a brutal reminder that when institutions lose their soul, students become collateral damage,” Mamedu added. He stressed that students, many of whom turned to the loan scheme out of necessity, were instead met with exploitation.
ActionAid demanded immediate investigations and suspensions by the governing councils of the implicated institutions, while urging the Minister of Education and President Bola Tinubu to act decisively where councils fail. The group also called on anti-graft agencies—the EFCC and ICPC—to pursue legal action, not just investigations.
While commending NELFUND and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for naming the implicated institutions, ActionAid emphasized that “naming alone is not justice.” The organization urged independent forensic audits of the affected schools, full refunds to students, public disclosure of fund usage, and the establishment of student-led monitoring mechanisms to prevent future abuse.
Mamedu further appealed for nationwide awareness campaigns to ensure students are informed about their loans, institutional beneficiaries, and their rights. “This is about more than just student loans. We must strive to build a nation where dignity, fairness, and equal access to opportunities are non-negotiable,” he concluded.
