Students of Yobe State University celebrated after receiving three months of NELFUND upkeep payments, while students at other institutions called for similar disbursements and quicker refunds.


Students of Yobe State University were filled with excitement after receiving three months’ worth of upkeep allowances from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), sparking celebrations that quickly went viral on social media. The payments covered outstanding stipends for May, June and July 2026, bringing relief to beneficiaries who had been awaiting the funds.
The celebration gained nationwide attention after the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, popularly known as @iambabtee on X, shared a 32-second video showing students rejoicing over the payments. The clip captured beneficiaries expressing their happiness after the funds were credited to their bank accounts.
Under the NELFUND scheme, tuition fees are paid directly to approved public tertiary institutions, while eligible students receive monthly upkeep allowances through their commercial bank accounts. In this instance, students at Yobe State University received the backlog for three months at once instead of the usual monthly disbursement, making the payment especially significant.
The viral video prompted reactions from students in other institutions who said they were still waiting for their own upkeep payments. Some students from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education appealed for similar disbursements, while others from Lagos State University of Education complained that their institution had yet to refund tuition payments despite submitting the required evidence through the NELFUND portal.
Not all the reactions were complaints. Several beneficiaries expressed overwhelming joy after confirming their payments, with some joking that the unexpected credit almost overwhelmed them with excitement. Others suggested that NELFUND should consider releasing stipends every two months if it would make the payments more substantial, while some asked when the August allowance would be paid.
The development comes amid growing discussions about the implementation of the federal student loan programme. Recently, NANS identified 41 tertiary institutions it alleged had received duplicate tuition payments from NELFUND without refunding affected students. The association’s claims followed an investigation into institutions accused of withholding excess tuition funds that were paid on behalf of eligible students under the scheme.
READ ALSO: Polytechnic Students Demand Transparency from NELFUND Over Student Loan Disbursement
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