Student Loan Portal Goes Fully Digital in Nigeria

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the full digitisation of its Student Loan Application System (SLAS), ushering in a new era for loan processing across Nigerian tertiary institutions.

According to a statement issued by Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Corporate Communications at NELFUND, the move is designed to simplify the loan application process for both institutions and students. The system upgrade will now require all accredited schools to formally request access to the platform in order to verify and upload relevant student data.

“This is a critical step that ensures the timely processing and disbursement of approved student loans,” Oluwatuyi said.

Institutions Urged to Act Swiftly on Onboarding

To access the new digital platform, institutions that have yet to register must send a request to registration@nelf.gov.ng. Once approved, they’ll gain real-time access to a dashboard where they can monitor and verify their students’ applications.

The Fund has stressed that student data verification by schools is mandatory before any loans can be finalised or disbursed. “We urge all institutions to take immediate action in the interest of their students,” the statement read.

This digitisation push is part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader education reform, particularly his Access to Higher Education Act, signed just weeks after taking office. The Act provides a legal basis for granting loans to low-income Nigerians pursuing higher education.

The law, now reenacted, formally established NELFUND as the vehicle for driving financial support to students nationwide. With the platform now fully operational, the expectation is that digital efficiency will replace the delays typically associated with government-backed loans.