A 300-level University of Lagos student, Migwe Obinna Nicholas, has described how the Nigerian Education Loan Fund kept him from abandoning his studies, noting that he is the only member of his family to have reached university.
Nicholas, who studies Theatre Arts and Film Studies at UNILAG, shared his story in an interview with former Big Brother Naija housemate DeeOne, posted on Instagram on Monday.
The undergraduate revealed that he currently lives in his local church because he lacks personal accommodation, having left his sister’s home after disagreements with her husband. He explained that he is the only person in his family to have made it to university and that he is relying on the student loan to fund his education, noting that he has no apartment of his own and is currently staying at his church.
He recounted growing up in a poor family and relocating from Ebonyi State to Lagos at the age of eight to live with his elder sister. Although his sister supported him for years, he said he had to leave her home after gaining admission into UNILAG because her husband wanted him to give up his educational ambitions and join his business instead. He said her husband had repeatedly pushed him toward the accessories trade rather than allow him to pursue school and his ambition of becoming a music artist.
Nicholas, who performs under the stage name BMX Royce, said he initially found it difficult to cope with a sharp rise in tuition fees. He admitted he had considered dropping out of school before he applied for the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, explaining that he took the loan because he did not want to stop his education, and that without it, he believes only divine intervention could have helped him. He said he had been on the verge of dropping out roughly two sessions earlier before deciding to take the loan.
According to the student, NELFUND currently covers his tuition fees, though the monthly upkeep allowance has been inconsistent. He explained that beneficiaries can apply for both tuition support and a monthly stipend of ₦20,000. He said he applied for both, and while his school fees were paid, the stipend was disbursed for only about three months before stopping. This session, he said his tuition was paid again, but he has received just one stipend payment so far. He added that he isn’t complaining about the stipend, since what matters most to him is that his school fees are covered and he’s able to register his courses.
Nicholas described the application process as simple, and encouraged eligible students experiencing financial hardship to apply, explaining that the process involves registering on the NELFUND website with an email address and school credentials, after which verification and payment follow.
He cautioned, however, that students whose parents could comfortably fund their education should not apply for the loan unnecessarily, arguing that only those in situations similar to his should take it out of genuine need. He noted that beneficiaries are given two years after NYSC to repay the loan, and said he believes he will be able to repay it by then given what he is working to build for himself.
Nicholas said finishing his university education remains a personal mission, since no one else in his family had previously reached that milestone. He described himself as the last-born in his family and the only one to have made it to university, and said he wants to keep that legacy alive.
