OG Stepper009

NELFUND is an unsuccessful scheme. Very disorganised, failed and disappointed students and should be scrapped. Apart from the fact that ₦20,000 per month for upkeep is extremely inconsiderate in the current economy, the payment itself is irregular and unpredictable. Students cannot plan feeding, transport or accommodation with a scheme that pauses without warning. Another major failure is lack of transparency. There is no clear explanation for delays, no proper public communication and no accountability when payments are skipped. Students are left guessing, refreshing dashboards and relying on rumours. The portal approval system is misleading. Students are shown an approved amount, yet NELFUND refuses to pay what it approved. Approval without full disbursement is deception, not support. There is also poor stakeholder engagement. Universities, students and even school bursaries are often unaware of payment timelines or changes. A national scheme should not operate like a secret club. Customer support is practically non-existent. Complaints go unanswered, emails are ignored and there is no effective helpdesk to resolve urgent student issues. The scheme shows zero understanding of academic calendars. Students applied for a session, were approved and verified, received payment only twice, and then were told to reapply for another session just to continue receiving funds meant for the same academic year. That is administrative incompetence. NELFUND also fails in equity and fairness. Students who applied at the same time receive payments at different intervals or not at all, with no justification. That creates unnecessary hardship and resentment. Finally, the scheme lacks policy consistency. Rules change midstream, conditions shift without notice and students bear the consequences of poor planning by the administrators. A student loan scheme that cannot guarantee consistency, transparency and dignity is not a support system. It is a liability.