Dozens of NELFUND Recruits Remain in Limbo as Employment Freeze Persists

edutvnigeria

07/07/26 • 4 Visninger • 0 Del • Udgivet i Andet

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, has attributed the delayed resumption of dozens of staff recruited by the agency in ..

Sawyerr's explanation follows an earlier report by The PUNCH revealing that successful applicants recruited by the Fund in January 2025 had yet to assume duty nearly 18 months after receiving employment letters and completing all required documentation.

Documents obtained by the newspaper showed that the affected recruits received letters of engagement on January 14, 2025, and concluded all employment documentation by February 3, 2025. However, they have since received no official communication regarding their resumption dates.

Frustrated by the prolonged delay, the affected workers, operating under the platform New NELFUND Employees Awaiting Resumption, petitioned key government officials, including the Minister of Education and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships and Higher Education Financing, Ifeoluwa Ehindero.

Ehindero had earlier assured that the committee would intervene in the matter.

Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH on Monday, Sawyerr maintained that the recruitment exercise was conducted in good faith to support NELFUND's statutory responsibilities before the agency was instructed to suspend implementation.

"NELFUND has a dual mandate: academic and skills acquisition. Those who were recruited but have yet to assume duties were recruited in good faith in the fulfilment of that mandate. There is no doubt about this," he said.

"But the Minister of Education, who is our supervising minister, asked us to put an embargo on employment after the recruitment exercise. This is the simple situation."

The NELFUND chief emphasised that the Fund could not disregard the directive issued by its supervising ministry.

He, however, assured that the affected applicants would be contacted if the employment embargo is eventually lifted, reaffirming the agency's commitment to engaging them once approval is granted.

The prolonged suspension has left many of the successful applicants in uncertainty, with several reportedly resigning from previous jobs or making financial and personal commitments in anticipation of resuming work with the agency.

NELFUND was established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act to provide interest-free education loans to eligible students in Nigeria's tertiary institutions.

Since commencing operations in 2024, the Fund has become a key component of the Federal Government's education reform agenda, disbursing billions of naira in tuition and upkeep loans to students across public higher institutions while recording a steady increase in applications.

The 2025 recruitment exercise was intended to strengthen the agency's workforce as it expanded both its student loan operations and skills acquisition programmes in line with its statutory mandate.

However, the ministerial employment freeze has effectively stalled the appointments, leaving the successful recruits awaiting further directives from the Federal Government.

Download our Mobile App for easy access
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvmobile.ng&hl=en

Mobile App Lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvng.lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edutvmobile.ng&hl=en