By Abubakar Yunusa
An investigation by Nigeria’s National Orientation Agency (NOA) has uncovered alleged collusion between universities and banks to misappropriate funds from the Federal Government’s Student Loan Scheme, depriving students of their entitled financial support.
In a statement released on Sunday, NOA Director General Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu revealed the findings following a meeting with Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The probe, conducted by NOA’s Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers, exposed deliberate delays in loan disbursements to students for personal gain by certain institutions and banks.
“Some universities fail to acknowledge NELFUND’s disbursements to students,” Sawyerr said, noting that affected institutions receive funds directly but neither inform students nor record payments, forcing students to pay tuition fees out of pocket.
“Withholding critical financial information from students is unethical and a breach of NELFUND’s principles,” he added.
He warned that legal action awaits any institution found culpable.
The NOA has issued a stern directive to implicated schools and banks to halt such practices immediately.
It has also instructed its state directorates to gather further feedback from students nationwide to ensure accountability and prompt government action against those involved.
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