Sokoto State University has acknowledged receiving more than ₦74 million from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to cover institutional registration fees for its students, in one of the clearest signs yet that the new scheme is taking root across campuses.

In a letter addressed to the NELFUND management, Vice Chancellor Prof. M.B. Yerima confirmed the receipt of ₦23.9 million on 4 July to offset the registration fees of 471 students under Batch B. The university has also received additional instalments, bringing the total to about ₦74 million.

The letter, dated 20 August, assured NELFUND that the funds would be utilised strictly for the intended purpose of covering institutional registration fees. “I assure you that the funds will be disbursed for the purpose to which it was intended,” Prof. Yerima wrote.

NELFUND’s latest weekly report showed that as of 21 August, more than ₦92.8 billion had been disbursed nationwide, including ₦51.1 billion paid directly to 225 institutions as tuition fees and ₦41.7 billion to 482,342 students as upkeep allowances.

The report also indicated that 786,093 students had registered on the portal since its launch, with 798,112 applying for loans. Between 1 and 7 September alone, 11,383 new students registered and 21,549 applied for loans.

The student loan scheme, launched under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, is designed to widen access to higher education by paying fees directly to institutions and providing upkeep allowances to students.

Prof. Yerima, in his acknowledgment, expressed gratitude to NELFUND for the intervention, describing it as critical to sustaining students’ access to education.