A technical fault affecting the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) portal has disrupted the payment of students’ upkeep allowances, leaving thousands of beneficiaries without their stipends for nearly two months.

A source within the agency confirmed the development, revealing that efforts are currently underway to resolve the issue and reconcile affected transactions.

“We have a system glitch, and we’re trying to reconcile,” the source said, speaking anonymously because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter.

The disclosure comes amid growing complaints from beneficiaries of the student loan programme, many of whom have expressed concern over the prolonged delay in receiving monthly upkeep payments used to cover basic living expenses.

The situation has also drawn the attention of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which said it has received numerous reports from students across tertiary institutions regarding the disruption.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NANS President, Babatunde Akinteye, said information available to the association indicated that upkeep allowance payments had been suspended for about two months.

“I have it on good authority that the disbursement of students’ upkeep allowances has been on hold for the past two months, with no clear explanation or accountability from the relevant authorities,” Akinteye said.

He expressed concern that the delay was creating uncertainty among beneficiaries and undermining the purpose of the student support initiative.

“The primary objective of the NELFUND initiative is to provide relief and support to Nigerian students, particularly in the face of prevailing economic realities. Any delay that deprives students of access to these funds undermines the very purpose for which the initiative was established,” he added.

The student leader called on the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to intervene and ensure that all outstanding allowances are paid without further delay.

He also urged the authorities to provide students with a clear explanation of the problem and an update on when normal payments would resume.

Although NANS hinted at the possibility of peaceful protests if the situation persists, students have primarily focused on the hardship caused by the interruption of payments many depend on for feeding, transportation, accommodation, and other daily needs.

Attempts to obtain an official response from NELFUND regarding the extent of the technical problem and a timeline for restoring payments were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.

The latest setback comes as NELFUND continues the rollout of Nigeria’s student loan programme, one of the flagship education initiatives of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The agency was established following the enactment of the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, signed into law by President Tinubu in June 2023 and later amended in 2024 to strengthen its implementation framework.

NELFUND was created to provide interest-free loans to eligible students in public tertiary institutions while also offering upkeep support to help beneficiaries manage living expenses during their studies.

Since the commencement of disbursements, the fund has approved loans and allowances for hundreds of thousands of students in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.

The programme has generally been regarded as a major intervention aimed at expanding access to higher education and reducing financial barriers for students from low-income families.

However, the implementation process has faced several challenges, including concerns over verification procedures, application processing delays, and payment schedules.

The current portal malfunction has become the latest hurdle for the scheme, with students and stakeholders urging NELFUND to resolve the issue quickly and restore confidence in the programme.