A major controversy has erupted at the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), Enugu, ESCET, following a management decision to make the Federal Government’s student loan scheme compulsory for all students.
An internal memo dated October 6, 2026, and signed by the Acting Registrar, Mr. Patrick A. Aneke, directed that every student in both NCE and Degree programmes must register for the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The circular instructed all fresh and returning students to immediately visit the College NELFUND Desk Officer, Dr. Rufina Agu, to apply for the loan, and mandated Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments and the SUG to disseminate the information to students.
The directive sparked outrage after a WhatsApp conversation from the college’s information platform leaked, where the Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Bertrand Ekwe, confirmed that the NELFUND receipt is now a compulsory requirement for examination clearance.
In the chat, when a student asked what would happen if his parents did not want him to take a loan, the Dean reportedly responded that it would be very difficult for such a student to continue in the college.
Asked further if it meant he would not be allowed to write his examination without the loan receipt, the Dean replied in the affirmative, adding that it remains so until management reverses its decision.
The Dean also reportedly warned and threatened to remove members of the platform who criticized the policy, insisting that the platform was meant to promote the interest of the State Government.
Some students have accused the management of inflating tuition fees on the NELFUND portal, alleging that fees of N85,000 were being uploaded as N95,000, and insisting that the loan scheme was designed to support indigent students and should not be forced on everyone who can afford to pay directly.
Affected students are now calling on the Enugu State Government and the management of NELFUND to intervene and review the policy to allow willing students to pay their fees without necessarily taking a loan, noting that the Student Loan Act was originally targeted at less privileged students to prevent dropout.
