The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has extended the deadline for its student loan application portal following a surge in nationwide demand.
A statement on Monday by Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFund’s
director of strategic communications, said the decision followed feedback from
students and key stakeholders across the country, as well as a spike in
applications and inquiries.
The Fund had earlier issued a reminder notice that the
portal would close on February 27, 2026.
However, Oluwatuyi said additional days have now been
approved to ensure all eligible students are given adequate opportunity to
complete their applications, pending further management decisions and
communications.
According to the statement, the extension is “targeted at
students who need extra time to complete their applications, prospective
applicants who only recently became aware of the scheme during nationwide
sensitisation efforts, and institutions that are just commencing their
2025/2026 academic session”.
The extension also covers institutions yet to submit their
verified student lists.
NELFund received 66,691 applications from studen across the
country within just 12 days of the deadline extension.
As of January 31, when the initial deadline lapsed, student
loan applications stood at 1,532,552. This rose to 1,599,243 over the next 12
days — an increase of 66,691.
However, fresh data released on Monday shows the figure has
now surged to 1,704,174, with more than N183 billion disbursed to cover
institutional fees and students’ upkeep allowances.
Speaking on the development, Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFund
managing director, reaffirmed their commitment to inclusivity and equitable
access to education financing.
“Our sensitisation efforts across the six geopolitical zones
have significantly increased awareness and participation. Therefore, in line
with our mandate to expand access to tertiary education financing, we have
approved an extension to ensure that all eligible students have a fair and
equal opportunity to apply,” Sawyerr said.
NELFund added that institutions which have not commenced the
2025/2026 academic session must submit an official request for extension, along
with their approved academic calendar, for consideration.
NELFund urged students to take advantage of the extended
window to complete their applications through its official portal before final
closure, reiterating its commitment to transparency, accountability and the
delivery of sustainable student financing solutions aimed at removing financial
barriers to higher education in Nigeria.
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