NELFUND Kept Me in School, Says UNILAG Student

A UNILAG student, Migwe Obinna Nicholas, said NELFUND’s student loan saved him from dropping out of university by covering his tuition after financial hardship left him homeless and unable to afford his education.

A 300-level Theatre Arts and Film Studies student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Migwe Obinna Nicholas, has shared how the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) helped him continue his education when financial hardship nearly forced him to leave school.

Speaking during an interview shared on Instagram by former Big Brother Naija housemate DeeOne, Nicholas said the student loan programme became his only means of staying in university after losing financial support.

According to him, he currently lives in his local church because he has no personal accommodation. He explained that he left his elder sister’s home after disagreements with her husband, who wanted him to abandon his education and work in the family’s accessories business instead.

Nicholas said he grew up in a poor family and moved from Ebonyi State to Lagos at the age of eight to live with his sister, who supported his education for many years. However, after securing admission into UNILAG, he was asked to leave the house.

Determined to complete his education and pursue a music career under the stage name BMX Royce, Nicholas said he struggled to cope with the increase in tuition fees and was close to withdrawing from the university before applying for the Federal Government’s student loan.

He revealed that NELFUND now pays his tuition fees, although the ₦20,000 monthly upkeep allowance has not been paid consistently. He said he received the stipend for about three months before payments stopped, while his tuition continued to be covered.

Despite the delay in upkeep payments, Nicholas expressed gratitude for the programme, saying having his school fees paid allows him to register his courses and remain focused on his studies.

He described the application process as straightforward, explaining that students only need to register on the NELFUND portal with their email address and school details for verification before receiving support.

Nicholas encouraged students facing genuine financial challenges to apply for the loan but advised those whose parents can comfortably pay their fees not to take advantage of the scheme unnecessarily.

He also expressed confidence that he would be able to repay the loan after completing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), noting that beneficiaries are given a repayment period after service.

Nicholas said earning a university degree means more than personal success because he is the first member of his family to attend university. He added that completing his education is a dream he is determined to achieve despite the challenges he has faced.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Student Graduates from Russian Medical School with 4.90 CGPA

SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, THE NATION