The Vice-Chancellor of Sokoto State University, Prof. Mohammed Yerima, has said that regular disbursements from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) have significantly improved student resumption rates, class attendance, and overall academic engagement at the institution.
Yerima made the disclosure on Tuesday in an exclusive interview, acknowledging the positive impact of recent NELFUND payments to the university. He described the student loan scheme as a “transformative intervention” that has revitalised the campus and reduced academic distractions caused by financial hardship.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for initiating the scheme, noting that prior to NELFUND, many students—particularly from states such as Oyo, Lagos, Kwara, and Taraba—struggled with upkeep, which affected lecture attendance and academic performance.
“Before now, students were more involved in hustling for survival than attending lectures or laboratory sessions. This always reflected in poor attendance and high failure rates during examinations,” Yerima said.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the situation has markedly improved since the introduction of NELFUND, which covers both institutional fees and students’ upkeep. For the 2025/2026 session, Sokoto State University received N89,135,800 for the registration fees of 1,854 students under Batch A and N83,087,400 for 1,762 students under Batch B, which were promptly disbursed to beneficiaries.
Yerima said the impact was immediate and visible across campus. “After holidays, students now resume fully. They attend lectures, participate in laboratory work, and engage meaningfully in academic activities. The campus has literally come back to life,” he said.
He added that students now receive regular upkeep allowances, enabling them to meet basic needs such as transportation without stress. “Students can now afford transport. Some use bikes, others our university buses, and we hardly hear cases of students missing lectures because they couldn’t pay transport fares. Eight o’clock lectures now start at eight o’clock,” he noted.
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The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted that part-time undergraduate students were recently included in the scheme, attracting working-class Nigerians and civil servants to the university. “My greatest joy is that my campus is active from the beginning to the end of the session. We are expanding programmes, and students are trooping in because education is now more accessible,” he said.
He further commended the NELFUND operational team for their efficiency and responsiveness.
In a reaction, NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr said the fund was established to remove financial barriers preventing Nigerian students from fully participating in higher education. He noted that the improved resumption rates and academic engagement at Sokoto State University reflect the core objective of the scheme, which is to ensure students focus on learning rather than survival.
Sawyerr reaffirmed NELFUND’s commitment to timely and transparent disbursements, emphasizing that the fund will continue to work closely with institutions to expand access, including for part-time and non-traditional students, in line with the enabling law. He added that investing in students’ welfare is critical to building a skilled, competitive, and globally relevant Nigerian workforce.