By Sandra Kenneth
Some beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) have reportedly received double disbursements for their June and July upkeep allowances, following the commencement of payments for outstanding backlogs.
The development was disclosed on Friday by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) National President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde, via a statement on X (formerly Twitter). Babatunde attributed the double credits to a system glitch on the NIP payment platform.
Addressing affected students, the NANS president advised against spending the extra money, suggesting that NELFUND may treat the excess disbursement as an advance payment for upcoming months.
“To those of you who got NELFUND June & July twice, it was a glitch caused by the NIP payment platform,” Babatunde wrote. “NELFUND is not Father Christmas, so save the money very well, as that may be your next two months’ upkeep payment.”
The disbursement follows weeks of widespread complaints and agitation from tertiary institution students over protracted delays in receiving their monthly stipends under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
Confirming the payout, Babatunde assured students that all outstanding arrears would be cleared and urged those who are yet to receive their payments to remain calm.
“The payment of June and July NELFUND upkeep allowances has officially commenced,” he stated. “As I assured you, every outstanding backlog will be paid. We remain committed to ensuring that no eligible Nigerian student is left behind.”
He explained that payments are currently being processed in batches, adding: “To all beneficiaries, I urge you to remain patient as payments are processed. If you have not received yours yet, kindly stay calm.”
While several students have taken to social media to share screenshots of their payment alerts, NELFUND management has yet to issue an official statement addressing the reported duplicate payments, nor have they clarified whether affected students will face automatic deductions on future allowances or be required to refund the surplus.
The NELFUND upkeep allowance scheme provides monthly financial stipends directly to eligible students in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions, alongside institutional tuition fees paid directly to their respective schools.
