By Olaitan Ibrahim
The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has demanded its immediate inclusion in the board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,NELFUND.
The students’ body expressed disappointment over its exclusion in the board, saying the action was akin to shaving a man’s head in his absence.
NANS particularly remanded inclusion of student representative on the forthcoming NELFUND Board meeting, threatening to shut down the venue of the event if its demand was not heeded to.
“As the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, it is completely unacceptable that students are sidelined from deliberations that shape the administration and disbursement of student loans.
“This fund was created for Nigerian students, and we will have a voice in how it is managed, “NANS said in a letter dated February 13, 2025, by its president, Lucky Emonefe and sent to the Managing Director of the Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr and Chairman of the Board, Jim Ovia,respectively.
In the letter, Emonefe described NANS continued exclusion as ‘completely unacceptable’.
The letter with Reference Number NANS/VOL1/GA1/ A254, was titled: ‘Final demand for student representation in the scheduled NELFUND Board’.
According to Emonefe, excluding students from the NELFUND Board is tantamount to shaving a man’s head in his absence.
The letter reads: “We are writing to express our deep concern and outright discontent over the exclusion of students from the scheduled board meeting of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as the apex student body representing over 50 million students across the country, will not stand idly by while critical decisions affecting our future are made in our absence.
“As the primary stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, it is completely unacceptable that students are sidelined from deliberations that shape the administration and disbursement of student loans. This fund was created for Nigerian students, and we will have a voice in how it is managed.
“We are demanding—not requesting—the immediate inclusion of a student representative in this board meeting.
“Failure to accommodate this legitimate and reasonable demand will result in the total shutdown of the meeting venue by Nigerian students. NANS will mobilize en masse to ensure that no meeting holds unless our representation is secured.
“This is not an appeal; it is a final warning. Nigerian students have exercised patience for too long. We refuse to be spectators in matters that directly affect our education, future, and welfare. No student, no meeting”.