More than a year after receiving appointment letters from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), dozens of successful candidates are yet to resume work, despite completing all required documentation and repeatedly seeking intervention from relevant authorities.
The employees were issued appointment letters dated January 14, 2025, signed by NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, following a recruitment exercise. After accepting the offers and completing documentation on February 3, 2025, they were informed that resumption would follow shortly. However, nearly 18 months later, no definite resumption date has been communicated.
The prolonged delay has left many of the affected workers facing financial and emotional hardship. Some resigned from previous jobs after receiving the appointment letters, while others informed their families of what they believed would be a new beginning. Instead, they have endured months of uncertainty, struggling to support their households and explain the situation to relatives and friends.
In a bid to resolve the matter, the employees wrote to the Chairman of the House Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing, Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, in January and February 2026, expressing concern over the delay and its impact on their livelihoods. They later appealed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in May 2026, detailing the sacrifices they had made and the hardship caused by the prolonged wait.
Despite their continued commitment to NELFUND’s mandate and the Federal Government’s student loan programme, the employees say they have received no clear explanation for the delay. They are now urging NELFUND management, the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities to clarify their employment status and provide a firm timeline for resumption.
