UNILAG Student Reveals How NELFUND Loan Kept His University Dream Alive

(Migwe Obinna Nicholas. Photo by Punch News)

A 300-level University of Lagos student, Migwe Obinna Nicholas, has narrated how the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) saved him from dropping out of school, describing himself as the only member of his family to have made it to university.

Nicholas, who is studying Theatre Arts and Film Studies at UNILAG, shared his experience in an interview with a former Big Brother Naija housemate, posted online on Monday.

The undergraduate said he currently lives in his local church, having no personal accommodation after leaving his sister's home following disagreements with her husband.

He explained that he is the only person in his family to have made it to university, adding that he is currently using a student loan to fund his education while living at his church, since he does not have his own apartment at the moment.

According to him, he grew up in a poor family and relocated from Ebonyi State to Lagos at the age of eight to live with his elder sister.

He explained that although his sister supported him for years, he had to leave her home after gaining admission into UNILAG because her husband wanted him to abandon his educational ambitions and join his business instead.

He described his background as one of a broken, poor family, noting that he had lived with his sister since he was about eight years old, but that her husband, who ran an accessories business, had wanted him to join the trade rather than pursue his dream of attending school and becoming a music artist.

Nicholas, who performs under the stage name BMX Royce, said he initially struggled to cope with the sharp rise in tuition fees, disclosing that he had considered abandoning his education altogether until he applied for the Federal Government's student loan scheme.

He said he had been contemplating dropping out but decided to take the loan because he did not want to stop schooling, adding that he almost dropped out about two sessions ago before the loan came through.

The student explained that NELFUND currently pays his tuition fees, though the monthly upkeep allowance has been inconsistent.

He noted that beneficiaries could apply for both tuition support and a monthly stipend of ₦20,000, stating that he applied for both, and while his school fees were paid, the stipend was only paid for about three months before it stopped.

He said that this session, his school fees had been paid again, though he had only received one stipend payment so far, adding that he was not particularly bothered about the stipend as long as his school fees continued to be paid and he could register his courses.

Nicholas described the application process for the loan as straightforward, encouraging eligible students facing financial hardship to apply, explaining that applicants simply need to register on the platform using their email and school credentials, after which their details are verified before payment is made.

He, however, advised students whose parents could comfortably fund their education not to apply for the loan unnecessarily, stressing that while such students are not obligated to take the loan, his own situation is different.

He noted that beneficiaries are given two years after their NYSC service to repay the loan, expressing confidence that he would be able to repay it by then given what he is building for himself.

He said completing his university education remains a personal mission for him, since no one else in his family had previously attained that milestone, adding that as the last born, he intends to keep that legacy going.