The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed strong opposition to its exclusion from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) board.
In response, the student body has demanded immediate representation in the upcoming board meeting. Failure to comply, it warned, would result in students shutting down the meeting venue.
In a letter dated February 13, 2025, and addressed to the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and the Board Chairman, Jim Ovia, NANS President Lucky Emonefe condemned the continued exclusion of students. He described the situation as âcompletely unacceptable.â
The letter, bearing Reference Number NANS/VOL1/GA1/A254 and titled “Final Demand for Student Representation in the Scheduled NELFUND Board,” argued that leaving students out of the decision-making process was akin to “shaving a manâs head in his absence.”
The statement read in part:
“We are deeply concerned and outrightly dissatisfied with the exclusion of students from the forthcoming board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. NANS, as the foremost student body representing over 50 million Nigerian students, cannot stand by while critical decisions that affect our future are made without our input.”
“As direct beneficiaries of NELFUND, it is unacceptable for students to be sidelined in discussions that shape the fundâs administration and loan disbursement. This fund exists for Nigerian students, and we must have a voice in how it is managed.”
“We are not requesting but demanding the immediate inclusion of a student representative in the board meeting. If this demand is not met, NANS will ensure that the meeting does not hold. We will mobilize students nationwide to shut down the venue.”
“This is not a plea; it is a final warning. Nigerian students have been patient enough. We refuse to be bystanders in decisions that impact our education, future, and welfare. No student, no meeting.”
It is worth noting that President Bola Tinubu, in April 2024, signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2024, into law. The Act stipulates that the NELFUND board should comprise representatives from key ministries, regulatory agencies, and participating institutions. These include the Federal Ministries of Finance and Education, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the National Universities Commission (NUC), student representatives, and members of the organized private sector.
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