The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) says Kwara State Polytechnic has yet to upload the verified list of student loan applicants on its portal despite preparations for examinations at the institution.
Gatekeepers News reports that the polytechnic resumed academic activities on Tuesday, with examinations expected to begin a week after resumption, according to a memo issued by Halimat Garba, the institution’s director of information.
In the circular dated February 27, Garba said further information regarding the specific examination timetable would be communicated to students in subsequent notices.
The institution had been shut in January by the state government following student protests over the use of the school as a temporary orientation camp for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The protest reportedly resulted in a security breach, injuries, and disruption on campus.
Following the resumption announcement, some students took to social media to express concern that they had not been able to pay their school fees due to delays in accessing loans from NELFund.
An X user, @tundex_6232, lamented that several students were unable to complete their fee payments because the polytechnic management allegedly failed to process necessary requirements on the loan platform.
Mary Isabella, who identified herself as a final-year student of the institution, also appealed for intervention.
“Some of us don’t have backup. We are struggling to pay our school fees and still they didn’t allow half payment. Please help us look into this. Exam is approaching and I’m a final-year student. Please.”
However, in a statement posted on Thursday, the Kwara Polytechnic Students’ Union defended the institution’s management, saying the school had completed the steps required for the loan process.
“KwaraPoly did not fail. The institution has done everything necessary for the disbursement from NELFund; the rest is now left to NELFund to disburse, which we hope they will do as soon as possible.”
Speaking with TheCable, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, NELFund’s director of strategic communications, said more than 700 students from the institution had applied for the loan, but the school was yet to upload their verified details on the loan portal.
“There are over 700 students who have applied for the loan, but the institution is yet to upload their verified list on our portal, the Students Loan Application System (SLAS),” Oluwatuyi said.
When contacted, Garba said she would consult the staff responsible for managing the loan system at the institution and revert. However, as of the time of filing this report, she had not provided further clarification.
Earlier in the week, NELFund announced an extension of the deadline for its student loan application portal following a surge in demand across the country.
In a statement, Oluwatuyi said the extension was intended to ensure that all eligible students have sufficient time to complete their applications while the agency awaits further management decisions and communications.
According to the statement, the extension is “targeted at students who need extra time to complete their applications, prospective applicants who only recently became aware of the scheme during nationwide sensitisation efforts, and institutions that are just commencing their 2025/2026 academic session.”
