By: Manoah Kikekon
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) students has express growing frustration over the management’s handling of Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursements and the imposition of a mandatory N10,000 fee for a final-year photoshoot exercise.
In an open letter addressed to the university administration, the affected students, who are beneficiaries of the federal student loan scheme, have demanded an immediate refund of tuition fees that were paid twice—first by the students through personal or family sacrifices and later by NELFUND on their behalf.
The students revealed that although the university’s e-wallet system reflects the equivalent of the NELFUND disbursement, they have been denied unrestricted access to withdraw or utilize these funds.
"The money is showing on our portal but we don't have access to it, and we've written letters severally but there is no response," a 400-level student from the Faculty of Social Sciences told reporters.
This delay has persisted for over two months, leaving many students in financial distress. Beneficiaries of the loan scheme across Nigeria are currently facing similar challenges, as the Federal Government’s rollout of the initiative midway through the academic session led to instances of double payments.
The NELFUND management has recently confirmed that it is investigating 34 tertiary institutions across the country for failing to reimburse students in such cases.
In their formal appeal, the LASUED students warned that if the management fails to resolve the issue promptly, they are prepared to escalate the matter through petitions to regulatory bodies, and media engagement.
The student body has rejected a memo from the university management mandating a N10,000 fee for a "Photoshoot Exercise and Virtual Graduate Profile Packaging Workshop."
The memo explicitly directed students to pay the amount into the "LASUED IGR ACCOUNT" via accredited commercial bank apps or direct deposit, while warning against the use of mobile banking apps or POS terminals to ensure transaction traceability. However, students argue that such costs should not be compulsory.
"The photoshoot should not be made compulsory," a 400-level student from the Department of Accounting noted. "There are various ways that other universities in the state have been getting the photos of their students without paying for a mandatory photoshoot."
As the time of this publication all attempts to rech the university management was not successful. As final-year students prepare to "sign out" this week, the calls for transparency and accountability have intensified, with the student body insisting that their interests and financial welfare must be prioritized.