Varsity Faults NANS Over NELFUND Refund Claims

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has faulted the National Association of Nigerian Students over its recent publication listing UNICAL among institutions yet to refund students under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

NANS had released a list of 39 tertiary institutions it alleged were still owing students who paid tuition fees before receiving NELFUND disbursements. UNICAL appeared on that list.

Reacting to the development, the University’s NELFUND Desk Officer, Mrs. Elizabeth Otu Effiwatt, said the claim “does not reflect the reality at UNICAL.”

She averred that the university has been processing refunds and has so far completed nine batches covering 1,089 students.

Effiwatt averred that over 3,000 students have used the NELFUND loan to pay fees, while the university has received a total of N979,891,400.00 for 10,071 students across various departments.

Effiwatt explained that the university has now moved from a manual process to an automated portal managed by the Directorate of ICT to handle refunds more efficiently.

“The system was designed based on operational experiences and challenges encountered in administering NELFUND refunds.

“This approach ensures the portal addresses identified bottlenecks and provides a more efficient and technology-driven process,” she said.

The desk officer further disclosed that 2,090 refund applications have already been received on the new portal and are being processed for payment.

The management of the institution urged students and stakeholders to disregard NANS’ list, reaffirming its commitment to ensure prompt refunds for all eligible beneficiaries under the NELFUND scheme.