The scheduled emergency meeting between Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and vice chancellors of public universities, regarding the federal government’s students’ loan scheme, was unexpectedly called off. The gathering, meant to address concerns about the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), was set to take place at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja. However, attendees, including media representatives, were informed of the sudden cancellation, with no reasons provided for the change.
Beriowo Folasade, the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry, confirmed the cancellation but indicated that a new date for the meeting would be announced later. No specific timeline was given for when this would happen.
The meeting was initially organized to discuss recent allegations of illegal deductions from students’ loans. Minister Alausa had previously stated that the meeting, which was scheduled for May 6, 2025, would aim to investigate the issue thoroughly and ensure transparency. He had emphasized the Ministry’s strict stance against any form of financial malpractice in the education sector.
