The Federal Government has allocated over ₦90 billion towards supporting the education and welfare of more than 400,000 students enrolled in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
This was revealed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday.
During a courtesy visit by a delegation of State Commissioners of Information, led by Borno State’s Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, Idris highlighted that the President’s initiative, through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has enabled students to pursue their education without financial strain.
The Fund, launched by President Bola Tinubu, was designed to broaden access to higher education and ease the financial burden of tuition and living costs on students and their families.
Since its inception, NELFUND has emerged as one of the administration’s flagship educational policies, offering direct financial aid to prevent disruptions in students’ academic progress caused by economic challenges.
Idris explained that the intervention goes beyond covering tuition fees, as students also receive upkeep allowances. He emphasized that the President’s vision is to ensure inclusivity in government benefits.
“The Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu has committed N90 billion to NELFUND. Tinubu’s vision is that, on no account, should a Nigerian child of school age be denied going to a tertiary institution,” Idris said.
“Therefore, this amount is not for school fees alone but also for upkeep of over 400,000 students across different tertiary institutions in the country,” he noted.
“Nigeria under Tinubu is on the path to prosperity. This is my message to you. We are in government to serve the interests of all, irrespective of political parties.”
According to the daily status report of September 3, a total of 780,089 students have registered on the platform, with 788,842 applications submitted. Out of these, 449,039 students have benefitted from the programme.
Idris also urged Nigerians to assess government initiatives on merit rather than politics, stating,
“If you will not listen to me because I was appointed by President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, don’t forget that your children need the NELFUND to stay in school. And also your people who have cancer need treatment and would have to access the Cancer Screening and treatment Centre/Oncology that Tinubu provided,” Idris said.
As of August 6, 2025, disbursements had reached ₦86.3 billion, with ₦47.6 billion allocated for institutional fees across 218 institutions and ₦38.7 billion paid directly to students as upkeep allowances.