By Samson Yaki Bako
Management of Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) and the Students’ Union Government (SUG) have constituted a joint verification committee to address concerns over delayed student loan stipends and outstanding refunds linked to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The decision followed a high-level meeting between the university management and SUG leaders aimed at resolving growing anxiety among students over delays in the disbursement of monthly upkeep allowances and refunds for school fees paid by students who later benefited from the federal student loan scheme.
The meeting, presided over by the Vice-Chancellor, Mohammed Khalid Othman, focused on key issues affecting beneficiaries of the NELFUND scheme, particularly the delay in payment of monthly upkeep stipends for the current academic session.
Othman assured that the university management remained committed to addressing all concerns affecting students under the loan programme and urged the SUG to continue serving as a bridge between students and the administration.
Clarifying the situation, the Bursar, Abubakar Muhammad Gafai, explained that the university does not control or process the disbursement of monthly stipends.
According to him, the payments are handled directly by NELFUND, with funds transferred into the personal bank accounts of beneficiary students.
“The university management, contrary to speculations, does not handle, control, or facilitate the direct payment of these monthly stipends,” he said.
Responding, the SUG President, Nasiru Imam Muhammed, said discussions were ongoing with the fund’s directorate to ensure the prompt resumption of stipend disbursements.
He assured students of the union’s commitment to protecting their welfare and ensuring that their concerns are adequately addressed.
On the issue of refunds for students who had earlier paid their school fees before receiving NELFUND support, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Muhammad Ghazali Garba, revealed that more than 3,100 students had already received refunds after verification by a committee headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Abubakar Sadiq Suleiman.
However, the meeting resolved to give a final opportunity to students with genuine claims who are yet to receive refunds to submit their applications for verification.
To facilitate the process, a joint committee comprising representatives from the Students’ Affairs Division, the university’s NELFUND directorate, the ICT unit, and two representatives of the SUG was constituted to verify outstanding claims and make recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor.
The committee has been given one week, from March 11 to March 17, 2026, to complete its assignment.
The meeting, which was held at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room at the university’s main campus, was attended by top members of the institution’s management including the University Librarian, Ukashatu Hamza Musa; Director of ICT, Muhammad Sani; Acting Director of University Legal and Industrial Relations, Mubarak Auwal Yakasai; and NELFUND ICT Desk Officer, Muhammad Jafar Waziri.
The SUG delegation was led by its President, Nasiru Imam Muhammed, alongside other executive and assembly officials of the union.