The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has commenced the disbursement of June and July upkeep allowances to student beneficiaries across the country, bringing relief to thousands of students following weeks of complaints over delayed payments.

The development was confirmed by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), while several beneficiaries also took to social media platform X to share screenshots of credit alerts confirming receipt of their allowances.

In a statement issued on Friday, NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, announced that the payment process had officially begun and assured students that all outstanding backlogs would be cleared.

“The payment of June and July NELFUND upkeep allowances has officially commenced.

“As I assured you, every outstanding backlog will be paid. We remain committed to ensuring that no eligible Nigerian student is left behind,” he said.

Akinteye appealed to students who were yet to receive their allowances to remain patient, explaining that the payments were being processed in batches.

“To all beneficiaries, I urge you to remain patient as payments are processed. If you have not received yours yet, kindly stay calm, as disbursements are being made in batches.

“We are here for you, always, and we will continue to stand firmly in defence of the welfare and interests of Nigerian students.

“Aluta Continua!” he added.

The latest disbursement comes after weeks of concerns raised by students over delays in the payment of monthly upkeep allowances under the Federal Government’s student loan programme.

Following the announcement, several beneficiaries flooded X with screenshots of their payment alerts, confirming that the June and July allowances had started reflecting in their bank accounts.

The upkeep allowance forms part of the NELFUND student loan scheme, which provides eligible students in tertiary institutions with monthly financial support, while tuition fees are paid directly to their respective institutions.