The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has raised fresh alarm over what it describes as an unprecedented escalation in tuition fees across several public tertiary institutions in the country. In a confidential risk assessment document obtained by The Guardian, the Fund warned that the sharp increase in fees now threatens the long-term sustainability of its student loan scheme.
According to the internal document titled Report on Framework to Mitigate the Impact of Increased Institutional Charges on the Fund’s Operations, some universities and polytechnics have raised their fees by between 20 and 521 percent, drastically worsening the financial strain on parents and students. NELFUND said these sudden spikes have destabilised the projections upon which its loan disbursement model was originally designed.
The report listed institutions with significant fee increases, including the University of Ilesha in Osun State, Ekiti State University (EKSU), the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) in Ondo, Edo State University, Uzairue, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Oyo State, and David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS) in Ebonyi State. It noted that the hikes are especially pronounced in professional fields such as Medicine, Nursing, and Law.
NELFUND’s analysis revealed that programmes in Medicine, Nursing, and Law now attract average increments of about 20 percent across several institutions, while some programmes in selected universities experienced fee increases of more than 100 percent. The Fund described the situation as deeply concerning for students whose survival in school depends entirely on the loan scheme.
At Edo State University, the report found a sharp rise in charges for Medicine and Surgery, increasing from roughly ₦750,000 to slightly above ₦950,000 per session. Nursing students in the same institution are now expected to pay close to ₦850,000. NELFUND stressed that these new figures pose a significant challenge to its financial capacity, considering the volume of applicants dependent on loans.
Similarly, the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, was found to have adjusted its fees upward, with the average cost of earning a medical degree exceeding ₦1 million per session. The Fund noted that this represents a 20 to 30 percent increase within a single academic year, a development it described as unsustainable for students in the current economic climate.
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) was also flagged for rolling out revised tuition bands. The report showed that fees for its Law programme rose from around ₦250,000 to approximately ₦300,000 per session, a 20 percent jump. Other faculties received increments ranging from 15 to 25 percent, depending on course and academic level.
In Ebonyi State, the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS) recorded some of the steepest increases nationwide. NELFUND stated that tuition for Medicine and allied health programmes climbed by over 40 percent in the last session. According to the report, such a drastic rise risks shutting out a significant number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
One of the most shocking cases highlighted in the document was that of Kogi State Polytechnic, where fees and related charges were reportedly hiked by more than 1,000 percent. The report noted that students who previously paid less than ₦20,000 per semester are now being asked to pay over ₦200,000 for certain programmes, a move the Fund described as “extreme and potentially crippling.”
NELFUND warned that these adjustments have already disrupted its operational forecasts. The loan scheme was initially framed around earlier tuition benchmarks, and the sudden upward review of fees is now creating significant funding gaps that threaten smooth disbursement and recovery processes. The Fund cautioned that this could also increase the likelihood of loan defaults.
Officials within the Fund’s risk management unit expressed concern that unless state governments and the Federal Ministry of Education intervene quickly, NELFUND may encounter liquidity challenges. They urged regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to collaborate in establishing a structure that prevents arbitrary fee increments.
This development comes months after The Guardian reported that 51 tertiary institutions had been implicated in questionable administrative charges linked to the student loan initiative. According to that investigation, several institutions allegedly imposed extra costs on students seeking to access the loan scheme, thereby undermining the purpose of the programme.
Stakeholders in the education sector have responded by calling for stronger regulatory oversight. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and several student associations have warned that unmonitored increases in tuition will force many students out of school and intensify dropout rates, especially among youths from low-income households.
Education policy analysts have joined the conversation, urging the Federal Government to establish a national tuition regulation framework. They argue that without such a system in place, student loans may never achieve their intended goal of making tertiary education affordable for all Nigerians.
Despite the concerns raised, NELFUND reiterated its commitment to sustaining its loan scheme. However, it urged tertiary institutions to reconsider their current tuition structures, stressing that the nation’s economic realities demand a more student-friendly approach.
The report concluded by emphasising that access to higher education must remain a right and not a privilege. NELFUND warned that if the current trend continues unchecked, the nation risks excluding thousands of qualified young Nigerians from its tertiary institutions a scenario that runs contrary to the values upon which the Education Loan Fund was established.
