Minister’s directive delayed NELFUND employees’ resumption – MD, Sawyerr

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The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, has explained why dozens of staff recruited by the agency in 2025 are yet to assume duty, saying the exercise was suspended following a directive from the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

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Sawyerr’s explanation comes days after The PUNCH exclusively reported that scores of successful applicants recruited by the Fund in January 2025 had remained in limbo despite receiving letters of employment and completing all required documentation.

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Documents obtained by The PUNCH showed that the affected employees received letters of engagement on January 14, 2025, and completed the necessary employment documentation by February 3, 2025.

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However, nearly 18 months later, they are yet to receive any official communication on when they will assume duty.

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The prolonged delay prompted the affected workers, under the umbrella of New NELFUND Employees Awaiting Resumption, to petition key government officials, including the Minister of Education and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships and Higher Education Financing, Ifeoluwa Ehindero.

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Ehindero had told The PUNCH that the committee would intervene in the matter.

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Speaking exclusively with The PUNCH on Monday, Sawyerr said the agency recruited the affected employees in line with its statutory responsibilities but was subsequently directed by the minister to halt further implementation of the recruitment exercise.

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“NELFUND has a dual mandate: academic and skills acquisition. Those who were recruited but have yet to assume duties were recruited in good faith in the fulfilment of that mandate. There is no doubt about this.

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“But the Minister of Education, who is our supervising minister, asked us to put an embargo on employment after the recruitment exercise. This is the simple situation,” he said.

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The NELFUND boss stressed that the agency had no authority to override the minister’s directive.

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Asked whether the successful applicants would be contacted if the embargo was lifted, Sawyerr responded in the affirmative, indicating that the agency remained committed to engaging them once approval was granted.

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The development leaves dozens of successful applicants in uncertainty after many resigned previous appointments or made personal and financial commitments in anticipation of assuming work at the agency.

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NELFUND was established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act to provide interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students in tertiary institutions.

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The Fund commenced operations in 2024 as one of the Federal Government’s flagship education reforms aimed at expanding access to higher education through sustainable student financing.

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Since becoming operational, the agency has processed and disbursed billions of naira in tuition and upkeep loans to students across public tertiary institutions, with applications continuing to rise as awareness of the scheme expands.

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The 2025 recruitment exercise was designed to bolster the agency’s workforce to support both its student loan operations and its expanding skills acquisition programme, which forms part of its statutory mandate.

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However, the ministerial embargo has effectively put the appointments on hold, leaving the affected employees awaiting further direction from the Federal Government.

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