Dr. Helen Nsirim, an official of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, has cautioned parents against making double payments of tuition fees for their undergraduate children.
Nsirim, who serves as the Information and Public Relations Officer at the Federal Information Centre, Port Harcourt, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
She said investigations revealed that some students who accessed the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) facility deliberately concealed the information from their parents in order to collect tuition fees from them.
“This is a wrong approach, especially in these difficult times when many parents are struggling financially. The Federal Government established the loan scheme to ease the burden of tuition on both parents and students,” she said.
The official urged NELFUND to improve transparency by publishing the list of loan beneficiaries annually through universities, national newspapers, and official social media platforms. She noted that such measures would enable parents to verify their children’s loan status and avoid unnecessary financial strain.
Nsirim further stressed the need for proper sensitisation, saying that although the National Orientation Agency (NOA) had been active in public awareness, parents must also take the initiative to stay informed.
“Instead of spending time on social media following trends and gossip, parents should check what NELFUND is doing and encourage their children to apply if eligible,” she added.
NAN reports that NELFUND was established to provide financial loan support to Nigerian students in tertiary institutions to improve access to higher education.
