NELFUND DISBURSES N387M LOANS TO 3,296 STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LOKOJA

​The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has announced that 3,296 of its students have received approximately N387 million in educational loans through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), significantly easing the burden of tuition and academic expenses.
​The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference held ahead of the institution’s 10th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, November 14.
​Breakdown of NELFUND Disbursements
​Prof. Ibileye outlined that the student financial assistance was released in two main tranches:
​First Tranche: N188 million disbursed to 1,631 students.
​Second Tranche: N199 million disbursed to 1,665 students.
​To ensure equity, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the university instituted a reimbursement policy to refund tuition fees paid out-of-pocket by students whose NELFUND loan applications were subsequently approved and processed.
​N404M TETFund Commitment to Staff & Research
​Highlighting human capital development at the institution, Prof. Ibileye disclosed that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) committed approximately N404.9 million toward FUL staff development, academic training, and conference sponsorships.
​Conference Sponsorships (N285 Million): A total of 190 out of 200 staff applications (95% approval rate) were funded. This included 81 academic staff members (49 international, 32 local) costing N246.6 million, alongside 109 non-academic staff members supported with N38.4 million.
​Academic Training (N158.9 Million): Advanced academic training was approved for 21 academic staff members.
​Research Initiatives: Following the appointment of FUL’s pioneer Grants Officer, the university has submitted over 50 competitive research grant proposals. Additionally, eight inaugural lectures have been delivered since February 2026, bringing the university’s historical total to 47.
​Academic Expansion & Convocation
​Despite macro-economic headwinds, rising operational costs, and mounting infrastructure demands, FUL is expanding its academic footprint:
​New Programmes (2026/2027 Session): Pioneer students have been admitted into 14 newly introduced programmes, including Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Engineering, Psychology, and Criminology & Security Studies.
​NUC Accreditation: Eight academic programmes recently attained full accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC), with 10 additional programmes currently undergoing evaluation.
​The Vice-Chancellor confirmed that a total of 5,638 students will formally graduate during the upcoming 10th convocation ceremony on Saturday.