On Wednesday, ActionAid Nigeria expressed worry over the revelations of systemic exploitation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme, with over 50 tertiary institutions across the country accused of inflating fees, withholding refunds, and financially sabotaging students who sought relief through the student loan program.

ActionAid Nigeria, therefore, has demanded an immediate investigation and suspension of all the vice-chancellors and rectors found liable in the reported fraud in the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.

ActionAid Nigeria frowned on Wednesday at the situation where academics were accused of inflating fees, withholding refunds, and financially sabotaging students who sought relief through the student loan program, according to a statement signed by its country director, Andrew Mamedu.

Mamedu said, “This is not merely administrative misconduct; it is corruption in educational institutions at its core. These institutions have not only betrayed public trust but have actively undermined the very ideals of transparency, equity, and social justice that education should embody.

“Fee hikes ranging from N2,500 to N30,000 per student may seem trivial on paper, but when calculated across tens of thousands of students, this abuse snowballs into a multi-million-naira scandal. According to ActionAid Nigeria’s conversations with students, the case is not an isolated incident. It is a coordinated, normalised pattern of corruption.”

He said, “This scandal is a brutal reminder that when institutions lose their soul, students become collateral damage. These are young Nigerians who turned to the government’s loan scheme out of desperation, not convenience, and what they got in return was exploitation. Institutions entrusted with both academic and moral leadership have shamelessly commodified education.

“ActionAid Nigeria demands the immediate investigation and suspension of all institutional heads complicit in this fraud by their respective Governing Councils and calls on the Minister of Education and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to remain silent or passive where these Councils fail to act decisively. If eventually found guilty, they must be dismissed from public service and prosecuted without delay.

“We also call on the EFCC and ICPC to move beyond mere observation or investigation and take decisive legal action.

“One would have thought that paying institutions directly was the more efficient and secure route to minimise the risks of student misuse and ensure timely tuition payments. But once again, these public institutions have proven incapable of individual and institutional accountability, turning a system built for support into one ripe for exploitation.’’

Mamedu further said, “While ActionAid Nigeria commends NELFUND and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for taking the bold step of naming institutions involved in the mismanagement of student loan funds, naming alone is not justice. We urge that NELFUND and the Federal Ministry of Education immediately conduct independent forensic audits of all implicated schools; mandate public disclosure of how funds were received and used; ensure full refunds to all affected students; and establish student-led monitoring mechanisms to prevent future misuse.

“ActionAid Nigeria also urges the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Federal Ministry of Education to step up nationwide awareness campaigns so that students are not kept in the dark about the loans they have received, the institutions that benefitted, and the rights they must now reclaim.”

ActionAid noted that: “This is about more than just student loans. We must strive to build a nation where dignity, fairness, and equal access to opportunities, services, and resources are non-negotiable. We also join our voices with activists, civil society, and concerned citizens in demanding that this scandal not be buried under bureaucracy.