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Policy Brief: Can NELFUND Sustain Itself?
Nigeria has tried student loans three times in 1972, 1988 and 1993. Each attempt eventually collapsed. As @NELFUND scales up disbursements, what can Nigeria learn from those past failures?
Our latest policy brief examines access, recovery, financing and governance and asks what it will take for NELFUND to become a sustainable student financing system.
Read the brief: ireadtolive.org/policy-brief…
iRead Initiative retweeted
Want to understand Nigeria's higher education system, the policies shaping it, and how they affect students and institutions? Subscribe to the @iReadInitiative YT channel for policy analysis, conversations, and updates.
youtube.com/@ireadtoliveinit…
iRead Initiative retweeted
Have you seen/read the latest explainer from @iReadInitiative ?
Check ireadtolive.org/nuc-post-mat…
The @OfficialNUC has announced it will audit every university’s enrolment against its approved quota after matriculation. But audits work only if breaches carry consequences.
JAMB’s own data show 706,418 approved places went unfilled in 2025, yet the most sought after courses remain heavily oversubscribed. Law drew 58,033 applicants for 10,874 places, medicine and health sciences drew 433,293 for 148, 486, and social sciences drew 256, 364 for 161, 337.
Our new explainer shows where the pressure lies and what the NUC, JAMB and government should do next.
ireadtolive.org/go/nuc/
iRead Initiative retweeted
For my welcome back ceremony, can you just go through ireadtolive.org/why-nigerian…
And also check out @iReadInitiative, we have amazing things going on.
punchng.com/nelfund-risks-co…
Also speaking Prof @yomitheprof , an educator and human resources strategist, faulted the Federal Government for removing a means-test provision from the student loan legislation and questioned the continued increase in tuition fees by some institutions.
He said the draft bill initially restricted beneficiaries to people below a specified income level, but the provision was later removed.
A university approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) can still offer a programme that its professional council has not accredited. In medicine, law, engineering, pharmacy, nursing and architecture, that gap can decide whether graduates qualify to practise.
In August 2026, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) placed a law faculty under a 10-year moratorium. Professor Ogundipe, Chairman of NUC says the overlap imposes avoidable costs.
Read our explainer on why Nigerian universities answer to so many regulators:
ireadtolive.org/why-nigerian…
#iReadPolicyTracker #NigeriaHEPolicy #NUC #HigherEducation
@MDCNOfficial @PCN_Registry @arcon_NG
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board @jamb_hq has announced plans to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Ottawa, Canada. The Board disclosed this following a visit by its Registrar, @profsegunaina to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa.
JAMB has run foreign centres since at least 2013 without publishing separate candidate numbers, costs or outcomes.
Before Ottawa opens, we have some recommendations for JAMB to consider.
Read our commentary here : ireadtolive.org/jamb-foreign…
Is your course accredited all year, or only on accreditation day?
In September 2026, Nigeria's Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said some tertiary institutions temporarily borrow lecturers and equipment to pass accreditation, then return them after the exercise…
Dr. Tunji Alausa has inaugurated a Ministerial Committee to review how accreditation is verified. The announced direction points to digital records and continuous monitoring of staff and facilities.
No new rule has been issued yet. The committee's report will inform what changes for students, lecturers and institutions.
The iRead Initiative Policy Tracker explains.
iRead Initiative retweeted
Please find the link to @iReadInitiative policy brief on NELFUND
ireadtolive.org/policy-brief…
Last week, we hosted a policy conversation on the sustainability of NELFUND, student financing, and the future of higher education funding in Nigeria in partnership with @BudgITng .
Here are a few excerpts from our speakers as they shared their perspectives and insights.
To read our full brief, visit: ireadtolive.org/policy-brief…
iRead Initiative retweeted
Today at 5:00 pm WAT, I will be on a panel to answer the question “Can NELFUND Sustain Itself?”
Join us to discuss @NELFUND. You do not want to miss this.
Registration is required: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu……
@SuleJacobs
We are looking forward to this conversation in a few minutes.
Today at 5:00 pm WAT, I will be on a panel to answer the question “Can NELFUND Sustain Itself?”
Join us to discuss @NELFUND. You do not want to miss this.
Registration is required: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu……
@SuleJacobs
iRead Initiative retweeted
2 days to go! 🇳🇬
Can NELFUND sustain itself?
Join @iReadInitiative and @BudgITng this Friday, 25 September at 5:00 PM WAT, for a policy discussion on the future of Nigeria’s student loan scheme.
We will examine funding, loan recovery, transparency, governance & lessons from other countries.
Kindly join us and register to attend: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
iRead Initiative retweeted
Prof. Ibiyemi, immediate past Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, says public universities must charge ₦1 million in tuition per student. Interestingly, a few weeks ago, Minister of Education @DrTunjiAlausa said VCs and Universities must stop waiting for government.
Do you know the reality? Families and students are left holding the bill. The big question is, Who pays, and who gets priced out? This Friday at 5:00 PM, Professors Isaac Obasi and @yomitheprof will take up this question during our webinar on the sustainability of @NELFUND and share their perspectives on the future of student financing in Nigeria.
Kindly register and join us: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
Ex-LASU VC: Public varsities must charge N1m tuition per student to sustain financial independence
Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, immediate past vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), says public universities across the country will have to charge N1 million tuition per student in order to sustain financial independence.
Olatunji-Bello spoke in an interview with Punch, where she reflected on her five-year tenure in LASU, which ended on Saturday.
thecable.ng/ex-lasu-vc-publi…
iRead Initiative retweeted
Tomorrow at 5:00 pm WAT, I will be presenting our full policy brief, “Can NELFUND Sustain Itself? Financing Nigeria’s Student Loan Scheme.”
Whether you are a current NELFUND beneficiary, have applied and still waiting for approval, or simply want to understand what the law says about the student loan scheme, this session is for you.
Our speakers will examine the financing, access, recovery, and governance questions surrounding NELFUND.
You do not want to miss this.
Registration is required: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
Student loans can make higher education more accessible. But what does the future of student financing look like?
If you are a Nigerian student, NELFUND could play an important role in how you finance your education today and in the future.
Join @iReadInitiative , in partnership with @BudgITng for a policy discussion:
Can NELFUND Sustain Itself?
Financing Nigeria’s Student Loan Scheme
We’ll explore what students need to know about NELFUND, including funding, loan recovery, governance, and the long-term sustainability of the scheme.
📅 Friday, 25 September 2026
🕔 5:00 PM WAT
📍 Zoom
If student financing matters to you, please register and join the conversation.
Registration link: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
iRead Initiative retweeted
In two years, NELFUND has disbursed N355.87 billion to about 850,000 beneficiaries, making it the largest tertiary education financing intervention in Nigeria’s history.
With this scale comes a conversation about how the scheme can remain sustainable.
This Friday, our Research & Policy Analyst, Ibukunolu James, will be joining iRead Initiative for “Can NELFUND Sustain Itself? Financing Nigeria’s Student Loan Scheme.”
Don’t miss the conversation.
📅 Friday, 25 September 2026
🕔 5:00 PM WAT
📍 Live on Zoom
Register to attend:
ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
#GetInvolved #NELFUND #IReadInitiative
Prof. Ibiyemi, immediate past Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, says public universities must charge ₦1 million in tuition per student. Interestingly, a few weeks ago, Minister of Education @DrTunjiAlausa said VCs and Universities must stop waiting for government.
Do you know the reality? Families and students are left holding the bill. The big question is, Who pays, and who gets priced out? This Friday at 5:00 PM, Professors Isaac Obasi and @yomitheprof will take up this question during our webinar on the sustainability of @NELFUND and share their perspectives on the future of student financing in Nigeria.
Kindly register and join us: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
Ex-LASU VC: Public varsities must charge N1m tuition per student to sustain financial independence
Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, immediate past vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), says public universities across the country will have to charge N1 million tuition per student in order to sustain financial independence.
Olatunji-Bello spoke in an interview with Punch, where she reflected on her five-year tenure in LASU, which ended on Saturday.
thecable.ng/ex-lasu-vc-publi…
2 days to go! 🇳🇬
Can NELFUND sustain itself?
Join @iReadInitiative and @BudgITng this Friday, 25 September at 5:00 PM WAT, for a policy discussion on the future of Nigeria’s student loan scheme.
We will examine funding, loan recovery, transparency, governance & lessons from other countries.
Kindly join us and register to attend: ireadtolive.org/events/nelfu…
iRead Initiative at #UNGA81 🇺🇳
Our Executive Director, @SuleJacobs, is participating in events and policy conversations taking place alongside the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
As part of these engagements, he participated in the @gatesfoundation Goalkeepers AI for Action Lunch, joining leaders, innovators, and partners examining how AI can expand opportunity and accelerate progress for those who stand to benefit most.
For us at iRead, this connects directly to our higher education policy research on AI and its implications for access, teaching and learning, student success, research, and institutional decision-making.
AI in education must be guided by evidence, equity, and accountability, with investments that expand opportunity rather than deepen existing inequalities.
#UNGA #iReadInitiative #AI #HigherEducation #EducationPolicy
