A war of words has broken out over the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), following comments by former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye about the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), criticised the scheme in a video circulating online, alleging that beneficiaries receive only N20,000 annually rather than having their school fees covered. He also described the programme as a “haven of corruption.”
The allegation drew a sharp response from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which accused the former lawmaker of giving the public a misleading account of how the student loan scheme operates.
In its reaction, the student body questioned Melaye’s record on education during his time in the Senate. NANS challenged him to state whether he provided scholarships or bursaries to students in his constituency while serving as a federal lawmaker.
The association also argued that conversations about the NELFUND initiative should be guided by accurate information and an understanding of its structure rather than political criticism.
The dispute later attracted the attention of Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy. In a post on X, Onanuga backed NANS’ position and accused Melaye of making a false claim about the amount provided to students under NELFUND.
“NANS President delivers a stinging rebuke to Dino Melaye over his brazen lie that NELFUND gives students only N20,000 per year,” Onanuga wrote.
He also questioned the basis for Melaye’s statement, adding: “You wonder what this former Senator and Atiku campaigner had smoked before going on TV.”
Melaye, who has remained a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration, had yet to publicly respond to Onanuga’s comments at the time of the report.
The disagreement comes against the backdrop of wider debate over the implementation of the Federal Government’s student loan policy. While supporters of the initiative point to its potential to reduce financial barriers to tertiary education, critics have continued to raise questions about its implementation and effectiveness.
NELFUND was established under the Tinubu administration as a mechanism for providing financial assistance to eligible students attending tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The latest exchange has therefore added a political dimension to an already ongoing debate over the accessibility, structure and impact of the student loan programme.
