NANS warns NELFUND, threatens to disrupt board meeting over student exclusion

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued warning to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), vowing to prevent its upcoming Board meeting from taking place unless students are included in the decision-making process.

In a letter dated February 13, 2025, and signed by NANS President Lucky Emonefe, the student body condemned the exclusion of student representatives from the scheduled meeting.

The letter, titled “Final Demand for Student Representation in the Scheduled NELFUND Board,” emphasized that NANS would take drastic action if their demand was not met.

“We are seriously concerned about the deliberate exclusion of students from discussions that directly impact their future,” the letter stated. “NANS represents over 50 million students across Nigeria, and we will not allow policies concerning our welfare to be made without our input.”

The association criticized NELFUND for what it described as an unfair and undemocratic decision, stressing that students must have a voice in managing a fund designed specifically for their benefit.

“This fund was established to support Nigerian students, and it is unacceptable for those directly affected to be sidelined. We are not making a request; we are making a demand. If students are not included, we will ensure the meeting does not hold,” Emonefe warned.

NANS insisted that their patience had run out, adding that they would take necessary steps to assert their rights. “This is the final warning. We refuse to be ignored on a matter that directly affects our education and future. No student representation, no meeting,” the letter concluded.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in April 2024, signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2024 into law.

The Act outlines the composition of the NELFUND Board, which includes representatives from key government ministries and agencies such as the Federal Ministries of Finance and Education, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the National Universities Commission (NUC), organized private sector representatives, and most importantly, student representatives from tertiary institutions.