KolaDaisi University VC Urges FG to Extend NELFUND Loans to Private Universities

The Federal Government was urged to reconsider the exclusion of private university students from government-backed education loans with concerns raised over the financial challenges faced by families seeking access to higher education in Nigeria.

The appeal was made by the Vice-Chancellor of KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof. Olajumoke Morenikeji, on Monday, November 2, 2026, during a briefing ahead of the institution’s 10th anniversary and sixth convocation ceremony.

Why Private University Students Should Benefit from NELFUND?

According to report by Punch Newspapers, Morenikeji argued that students attending private universities should not automatically be considered financially comfortable because of the ownership status of their institutions.

She explained that some families choose private universities because their children are unable to secure admission into public institutions, while others may struggle to meet the cost of their children's education despite their choice of school.

The Vice-Chancellor appealed to the Federal Government to consider students' individual financial circumstances when determining access to educational support.

She also questioned whether public universities could accommodate the large number of candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions stressing the need to consider alternative institutions when developing policies to improve access to higher education.

Morenikeji maintained that eligible students in private universities should have the opportunity to benefit from educational financing, regardless of whether their institutions are publicly or privately owned.

Source: Punch Newspapers