"Your Upkeep Is Coming," NELFUND Assures Students at UDUS Outreach Programme

The Technical Assistant to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Nasir Ayitoga, has assured student loan beneficiaries that delayed upkeep allowances will soon be disbursed.

Ayitoga gave the assurance while addressing students during a Students' Union outreach and sensitization programme on the NELFUND scheme held at the Oba Lamidi Adeyemi Auditorium, Main Campus, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).

The event which was organised by the Students' Union Government (SUG) of UDUS in collaboration with Sokoto State University (SSU) and Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto (SSCOE), brought together students from the three institutions to engage directly with NELFUND officials on issues relating to loan disbursement, repayment obligations, and student welfare.

One of the major highlights of the programme came during the interactive session when Ar-Rumaisa'u A. Suleiman, a student of UDUS, raised concerns over the delay in the payment of upkeep allowances to beneficiaries.

Addressing the NELFUND management, she lamented that many students had not received their upkeep for over two months.

"When will NELFUND pay our upkeep? For over two months now, we have not received our NELFUND upkeep," she said.

Responding, Ayitoga reassured the students that the upkeep would be paid, repeatedly emphasizing NELFUND's commitment to fulfilling its obligations.

"Your upkeep is coming. Your upkeep is coming. Your upkeep is coming," he said, before adding, "Take it from me, your upkeep is coming."

Another student, Attahir, a medical student of UDUS, appealed to NELFUND to consider the peculiar academic calendar of medical students, noting that they often remain on campus for clinical postings, lectures, and examinations even when universities are officially on vacation.

According to him, the situation places additional financial burdens on medical students and should be reflected in the administration of upkeep allowances.

In response, NELFUND officials acknowledged the concern and assured participants that the request would be reviewed.

"NELFUND will look into that. We have heard your appeal," he assured

Similarly, Anas Tahir Maishinkafa, a student of Sokoto State University, sought clarification on whether beneficiaries would be required to repay upkeep allowances that were never disbursed to them.

Citing his experience of missing upkeep payments for two months, he questioned whether such undisbursed funds would still form part of beneficiaries' repayment obligations after graduation.

Responding, NELFUND clarified that students would only be required to repay funds that had actually been received.

"Nobody will pay for what he did not collect," the official explained, adding that all approved disbursements and transactions are properly documented and reflected on beneficiaries' dashboards.