New NELFUND Employees Face Hardship Amidst Year-Long Resumption Delay

Over a year has passed since numerous individuals received their official employment letters from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), yet they remain unable to commence work. Despite having completed all necessary documentation and making repeated pleas to government officials for intervention, the initial excitement and hope for these new staff members have transformed into a prolonged period of frustration, anxiety, and emotional distress. Some affected employees report resigning from their previous roles upon receiving the NELFUND offers, while others shared news of their new career chapter with family, anticipating a start date within weeks. Instead, they have endured more than 12 months in limbo, awaiting a resumption date that is still elusive.

Records confirm that NELFUND issued appointment letters dated January 14, 2025, following a recruitment exercise. These letters, signed by Akintunde Sawyerr, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, informed successful candidates of their employment offer after a screening process. The letters explicitly stated: “Further to your recent screening with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, you have been offered an appointment as … effective from the date of your assumption of duty.” Furthermore, the appointments specified a one-year probationary period from the start date and required candidates to accept the offer within 14 days. Subsequently, on February 3, 2025, the successful candidates completed their documentation, reportedly with assurances that resumption would follow shortly. However, nearly 18 months later, many are still without a definitive start date.

For several of these prospective employees, the protracted delay has brought more than just financial woes; it has also inflicted significant emotional strain on their families, who had placed considerable hope on the promised employment. Parents who anticipated a more stable income now struggle to meet their obligations, while others find themselves repeatedly explaining to loved ones why a job officially offered has yet to materialize.

The affected group first formally addressed their concerns in a letter dated January 27, 2026, sent to Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, Chairman of the House Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing. In their correspondence, they wrote: “We, the affected employees, are writing to express our concerns regarding our delay of resumption of duty after the resumption notice sent on January 14, 2025, and documented on February 3rd, 2025. It has been over a year since we received the notice, and despite our efforts to comply, we are yet to resume our duties.” The letter continued: “We are worried about the prolonged uncertainty and its impact on our livelihoods and family. We kindly request a meeting with you to discuss the status of our resumption and the necessary steps to be taken.” They concluded with an appeal for intervention, stating: “We believe in your capacity that this will aid your fatherly attention, love and care to our long waiting expectation, as we can't wait to join our friends who were documented together in February 3rd 2025.”

When this initial appeal failed to produce tangible results, a subsequent letter reiterating similar concerns was submitted to the lawmaker on February 10, 2026. The employees then escalated the matter to Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, through a detailed letter dated May 1, 2026. This letter congratulated the minister on his appointment and expressed confidence in his leadership, while drawing his attention to the hardships they had endured since their employment offers.

Their letter to the minister highlighted the personal sacrifices made by many after receiving their appointment letters. “Having successfully completed the recruitment process conducted by the NELFUND management, we received the offer letters, participated in the documentation, filled our resumption forms and were informed that resumption would follow shortly,” the employees stated. They further elaborated: “With joy, we left our former jobs, told our wives and children of a new beginning. Several months have passed, and we are yet to receive official communication on a definite resumption date. This prolonged wait has caused us and our families financial, emotional, and psychological strain.” This particular passage encapsulates the profound distress many of the affected workers feel due to the delay. For families who viewed these appointments as a significant breakthrough after years of job searching, each passing month without resumption has intensified their anxiety and uncertainty, leading to persistent questions from spouses, children, and relatives.

Despite their predicament, the employees affirmed their unwavering dedication to NELFUND’s objectives and the Federal Government's student loan initiative. They stated: “We remain deeply committed to the vision of NELFUND and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President to expand access to higher education through student loans. We are eager to contribute our skills and energy to this noble mandate.”

Having received no response to their earlier appeal, the group dispatched a reminder to the Minister of Education on June 16, 2026, emphasizing the worsening plight of those affected. “The delay continues to traumatize the affected staff,” they wrote, appealing for urgent intervention: “We believe a brief meeting with you will provide an opportunity to present the facts, clarify grey areas, and seek your kind intervention to fast-track our resumption process. This will enable the new employees to commence duties and contribute meaningfully to the mandate of NELFUND.”

With more than a year elapsed since their appointments were issued, the affected employees are now urgently calling upon NELFUND management, the Federal Ministry of Education, and other relevant authorities to provide definitive clarity on their employment status and a firm timeline for their resumption. For them, this issue extends beyond mere administrative delays; it is about restoring stability to lives put on hold, fulfilling promises made through official letters, and enabling dozens of families to finally embark on the future they believed had arrived in January 2025.