Students' Loan: Top 10 States with Highest NELFUND Applications as of February 2026
- The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) provides interest-free loans to support Nigerian students in tertiary education
- The top ten states applying for NELFUND student loans include Kano, Borno, and eight others
- Nigerian has raised concerns over the lack of applications from students from the South-South and South-East states
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide
FCT, Abuja - The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has been giving out loans to students in tertiary institutions across the country since its inception.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration established NELFUND to provide funding for Nigerian students who might have challenges funding their education.
The agency empowers Nigerian students by providing interest-free loans for accessible higher education and breaks financial barriers to learning.
Top 10 States With Highest NELFUND Applications
As reported by TheCable, below are the top 10 states with the highest NELFUND applications as of February 2026.
1. Kano: 100,886
2. Borno: 99,030
3. Kaduna: 90,691
4. Oyo: 76,576
5. Kwara: 68,086
6. Katsina: 63,226
7. Ekiti: 60,426
8. Bauchi: 59,808
9. Lagos: 58,962
10. Gombe: 56,882
No state from the southeast and south geopolitical region makes the list of the top ten states with the highest NELFUND application for student loans.
The South West has three states (Lagos, Oyo, and Ekiti States), the North East also has three states (Borno, Bauchi, and Gombe States), the North West has three states (Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina States), and the North Central completes the list with one state (Kwara State).
Reacting to the top ten list, an X user, @adebayotosin80, said:
None of the South South and South East States are in the list. Is this the problem of the government again, or is it a deliberate act from them not to take a loan?
NELFUND: Nearly 800,000 students benefit from student loans
Recall that the latest data from NELFund shows that 788,947 students have benefited from the student loan scheme to date, with total loans disbursed at N140.88 billion.
The agency has recorded 1,193,228 applications from 262 institutions since the portal was opened in 2024.
Tuition disbursements to beneficiaries have reached N82.34 billion, while N58.53 billion has been paid as upkeep allowances.
NELFUND names fraudulent loan portals
Legit.ng also reported that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is a body dedicated to providing loan facilities to help Nigerian students stay in school.
Since its inception in 2024, over 100,000 students have received disbursements to take care of their tuition fees and monthly stipends.
However, the body has now exposed a fraudulent website designed like NELFUND's and extracting sensitive data from Nigerian students.
Source: Legit.ng
