Many Nigerian students woke up to double credit alerts this week as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund began clearing backlog payments, but the joy came with confusion.
The National Association of Nigerian Students confirmed that a system error on the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System platform caused some beneficiaries to receive both June and July upkeep allowances twice.
NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde, disclosed this on X on Friday while responding to complaints and screenshots posted by students. He said the duplicate payment was not deliberate and advised affected students not to spend the extra money.
“To those of you who got NELFUND June and July twice, it was a glitch caused by the NIP payment platform,” Babatunde wrote. “NELFUND is not Father Christmas, so keep the money safe. That may likely be your upkeep for the next two months.”
In effect, NANS is telling beneficiaries to treat the excess as an advance. Future payments may be skipped to cover it.
NELFUND has not issued an official statement on the matter. The agency is yet to confirm the glitch or state whether students will refund the money or have it deducted later.
The error occurred days after NELFUND resumed payment of outstanding June and July upkeep to students in universities, polytechnics and colleges nationwide. The delay had sparked weeks of frustration among students who depend on the monthly stipend for feeding and transport, while tuition is paid directly to schools.
Babatunde earlier announced that disbursement had begun and promised that all backlogs would be paid. He also urged patience for those yet to receive alerts.
“The payment of June and July NELFUND upkeep allowances has officially commenced,” he said. “As I assured you, every outstanding backlog will be paid. We remain committed to ensuring that no eligible Nigerian student is left behind.”
“Please remain patient as payments are processed in batches. If you have not received yours, stay calm. Disbursements are ongoing,” he added.
While many students celebrated the payments online, others are now asking how NELFUND will resolve the overpayment. NANS said it will keep engaging the agency and monitoring the process.
