The Vice Chancellor of Bowen University, Professor Jonathan Babalola, has criticised the Federal Government for excluding private university students from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that the policy deepens inequality among Nigerian youths.
Speaking ahead of the university’s 20th convocation in Iwo, Osun State, Prof Babalola said the scheme’s design assumes that all students in private institutions are wealthy — a perception he described as “false and unjust.”
“Not all students in private universities are rich. I met one who eats only once a day because his parents take loans to pay his fees. Denying such students support is unfair,” he said.
The NELFUND scheme, launched in 2024, offers interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition and living costs. So far, it has disbursed over ₦116 billion to more than 600,000 beneficiaries.
Prof Babalola insisted that students in both public and private universities are Nigerians and contribute to the taxes that fund the loan. “Education is a right, not a privilege for a few,” he said, urging the government to review the policy and create a level playing field for all learners regardless of where they study.
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