NAPTAN, NANS Seek Parental Alerts, Public Disclosure to Curb Abuse of Student Loan Scheme

Stakeholders advocate greater transparency in NELFUND disbursements, proposing direct notifications to parents and guardians to prevent students from collecting tuition payments already covered by government loans.

ABUJA, November 12, 2026

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have called for stronger transparency and accountability measures in the administration of the Federal Government’s student loan scheme to prevent beneficiaries from collecting tuition fees from their parents after the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has settled their institutional charges.

The proposed measures include direct notifications to parents and guardians whenever tuition payments are made on behalf of their children, as well as the publication of beneficiaries’ names to promote transparency and discourage alleged misuse of the scheme.

The practice, commonly referred to as double-dipping, involves students receiving tuition support through NELFUND while allegedly continuing to demand school fee payments from their parents or guardians without disclosing that the government-backed scheme has already covered the expenses.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAPTAN, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, described the practice as contrary to the objectives of the student loan programme, which was established to ease the financial burden of tertiary education on families and expand access to higher education.

Speaking to Vanguard, Ogunbanjo acknowledged that eliminating the practice entirely might be difficult but maintained that improved communication between NELFUND and parents could significantly reduce its occurrence.

He therefore recommended that the fund introduce a system for notifying parents and guardians whenever tuition fees are paid on behalf of their children, noting that such a mechanism would prevent families from making duplicate payments unknowingly.

Supporting the proposal, the National Association of Nigerian Students called for direct communication with parents and greater transparency in the identification of loan beneficiaries.

NANS National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Obidah David, suggested that NELFUND leverage the contact details supplied by students during registration to send text message notifications to their parents or guardians.

He also proposed that the names of beneficiaries be published through traditional and social media platforms as part of efforts to strengthen public accountability.

According to the student body, these measures would enable families to verify whether tuition fees had been settled through the loan scheme and minimise opportunities for financial deception.

The proposals come amid concerns raised by NELFUND Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, who recently disclosed that the fund had identified cases of students allegedly receiving loan support while still relying on their parents to pay their tuition fees.

Sawyerr condemned the practice and pledged to introduce measures to address the loopholes and strengthen accountability in the administration of the scheme.

As part of the proposed reforms, NELFUND plans to introduce a mechanism through which parents can verify whether their children’s school fees have been paid under the programme, without necessarily disclosing the specific amounts involved.

The fund also plans to organise re-education workshops across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to clarify its payment procedures and address misconceptions among students, parents and tertiary institutions.

Sawyerr explained that the exercise would extend beyond conventional public awareness campaigns to ensure that stakeholders understand the operational changes being introduced to improve the programme’s administration.

He emphasised the need for beneficiaries and participating institutions to have a clearer understanding of tuition payments, upkeep allowances and the documentation required under the scheme.

NELFUND’s Executive Director, Mustapha Iyal, also provided insights into the fund’s payment structure, explaining that institutional fees are processed through students’ application identification numbers and wallet numbers rather than their conventional bank account details.

The arrangement, he explained, is designed to minimise intermediaries and enhance the tracking of payments made directly to tertiary institutions.

NELFUND operates separate payment processes for institutional charges and upkeep allowances. While tuition support is channelled towards settling fees owed to institutions, upkeep allowances are transferred to beneficiaries through designated payment channels to support their living expenses.

This distinction underscores the importance of understanding the different components of the scheme to prevent confusion and ensure that funds are used for their intended purposes.

The concerns raised by NAPTAN and NANS underscore the importance of transparency, effective communication and robust monitoring mechanisms in the administration of publicly funded education programmes.

As NELFUND continues to expand access to financial assistance, accurate beneficiary records, timely payment notifications and effective coordination with tertiary institutions will be critical to ensuring that the scheme delivers on its objectives.

For parents and guardians, improved access to payment information would help prevent unnecessary financial commitments and enable informed decisions about their children’s educational expenses. For government, stronger verification and monitoring systems could minimise duplicate tuition payments, strengthen public accountability and ensure that limited public resources reach their intended beneficiaries.

However, the proposed parental notification and public disclosure mechanisms must be implemented with appropriate data protection and privacy safeguards. Accurate records, consent-based communication where necessary and secure verification channels will be essential to preventing unauthorised disclosure or the circulation of incorrect beneficiary information.

Ultimately, the success of these measures will depend on effective collaboration among NELFUND, students, parents, guardians and tertiary institutions to safeguard the integrity of the student loan programme and ensure that the intervention provides the intended relief to Nigerian families.

Edited by Rosemary Aiyenale

Source: Vanguard Newspaper