The management of Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) has held a meeting with the Students’ Union Government (SUG) to address concerns over delays in the disbursement of funds under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The meeting, held at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room at the university’s main campus, brought together top management officials and representatives of the student body to discuss issues relating to the payment of monthly upkeep allowances and the refund of school fees to beneficiaries.
Speaking during the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Mohammed Khalid Othman, assured students that the university was committed to addressing the challenges surrounding the scheme.
He said the management was ready to do the needful regarding the refund process and other issues affecting students, while urging the SUG to serve as a proactive liaison between the student community and the university administration.
The discussions focused largely on delays in the payment of monthly upkeep stipends to approved NELFUND beneficiaries for the current academic session, as well as refunds for students who had earlier paid their school fees before NELFUND later settled the same fees on their behalf.
Clarifying the situation, the university’s Bursar, Abubakar Muhammad Gafai, said the institution does not handle the direct payment of the monthly stipends to students.
According to him, the disbursement is handled solely by NELFUND, which transfers the funds directly into the personal bank accounts of beneficiary students.
On the issue of refunds, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Muhammad Ghazali Garba, disclosed that more than 3,100 students who applied for refunds and were verified by a committee had already received their payments.
The verification committee, he explained, was headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Abubakar Sadiq Suleiman.
Despite the progress made, the meeting resolved to give another opportunity to students with genuine claims who are yet to receive their refunds to apply for verification.
To facilitate the process, a new committee comprising representatives from the Students’ Affairs Division, the FUDMA NELFUND directorate, the university’s ICT directorate and two representatives of the SUG has been constituted.
The committee has been tasked with verifying outstanding claims and submitting recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor.
It has been given one week—from March 11 to March 17, 2026—to complete its assignment.
The SUG delegation was led by its President, Nasiru Imam Muhammed, alongside other executive and assembly members.
Speaking after the meeting, the SUG president reassured students of the union’s commitment to protecting their welfare, noting that the concerns of the student population had already been formally communicated to the NELFUND directorate and that discussions were ongoing to ensure the prompt resumption of disbursements.
The statement was issued by the Director of Information and Protocol at the university, Nasiru M. Abdul.
