NELFUND and the Fate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 General Election –By Muhammad Bashir Abdulhafiz

I am a young Nigerian. Like many of my peers, I carry the weight of this nation’s hope and the exhaustion of its failures. I am also a beneficiary of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). In theory, NELFUND is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s masterpiece, a bold promise to keep the poor but brilliant child in the classroom. But today, that promise is being tested by two cruel enemies, delay in refunds and inconsistent upkeep disbursement turning student’s hope into anger.

If these issues are not fixed immediately, they will not just cause suffering in universities hostels and lecture halls. They will become a direct political threat to President Tinubu’s chance of returning to Aso Rock in 2027. Let me speak plainly. When a government withholds a student’s upkeep loan for months, that student does not just go hungry. He or she is forced to drop out of tutorial classes, miss vital research trips, or even lack concentration to write semester examinations. I have seen many colleagues borrow from loan applications at terrible interest just to buy notebooks and feed. The anxiety is real. These are not lazy people. These are hungry, and anxious young Nigerians who trusted this government. When a government promises help and then delays it indefinitely, the beneficiary does not just feel inconvenience. He feels betrayal. And betrayal is not easily forgotten at the ballot box.

President Tinubu’s strategist must understand something fundamental: Nigerian students vote. More importantly, students talk. We have the loudest voices and the most connected social media platforms, campus associations, religious groups, and family ties across every ward and local government area.

If by the end of 2026, the average NELFUND student is still struggling to get his upkeep allowance three months late, that student will not vote for continuity. He will actively campaign against it. He will tell his mother in the village, his father as a taxi driver, and his siblings in secondary school: ‘This government abandoned us’. In Nigeria, elections are won by emotion and connection. If Tinubu’s administration becomes known as the one that ‘failed the loan beneficiaries’, the opposition will weaponize it. Imagine the opposition’s campaign slogan: ‘Tinubu promised you loans, but gave you delays’. That message will resonate deeply in the North, the South-West, the South-East, and everywhere in between.

In Nigerian politics, perception is power. Right now, the perception among many beneficiaries is that NELFUND is a beautiful song with no music. That perception must change urgently. Now let me speak about the other side of the coin. If President Tinubu’s administration gets NELFUND right, we beneficiaries can become his most loyal and effective grassroots army. Here is how:

First, we are natural advocates. A student whose upkeep loan arrives on the 25th of every month will proudly tell his friends, post on social media, and defend the President in every conversation. We will become walking testimonies of a government that cares.

Second, we are multipliers. Each of us has an average of five to ten close family members who trust our judgment. If 500,000 NELFUND beneficiaries are motivated to campaign for Tinubu, that translates to millions of votes across the 36 states and the FCT.

Third, we dominate the digital space. Young people control the narrative online. A happy NELFUND beneficiary will create TikTok videos, tweet appreciation threads, and counter opposition propaganda for free. That kind of organic support cannot be bought with billions of naira.

Fourth, we are spread across all voting units. From university campuses to polytechnics and colleges of education, we are present in every senatorial zone. We can conduct door-to-door sensitisation, register new voters, and mobilise turnout on election day. But none of this will happen if we are hungry, frustrated, or feeling abandoned.

Advice to Those in Authority.

To President Tinubu, the Minister of Education, and the management of NELFUND, I offer the following simple, urgent, and actionable advice:

1. Stabilise the upkeep disbursement calendar. Treat upkeep loans like salary payments. They must be paid by the 25th of every month without failure. Any delay beyond seven days should trigger a public explanation and a clear catch up plan.
2. Speed up institutional refunds. When universities are not reimbursed on time, it weakens students morale to focus on their academics. That anger is then directed at the federal government. Clear all outstanding refunds within 90 days and create a weekly payment schedule going forward.
3. Create a rapid-response complaint system. Set up a dedicated WhatsApp line and a toll-free number where students can report delays. Every complaint should be acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 72 hours. No more ‘we are working on it’ as a standard reply.
4. Launch a ‘Students for Tinubu’ volunteer initiative under NELFUND. Identify willing beneficiaries across all institutions. Provide them with small incentives, data subscriptions, recharge cards, and branded T-shirts to lead voter education and peer mobilisation. Recognise their efforts publicly.
5. Publish monthly performance reports. Transparency builds trust. Every month, release a simple report showing: how many students get paid, how much is disbursed, and average processing time. Let Nigerian students see the progress.

Mr. President, you have done what no leader before you dared. You signed NELFUND into law. That is a legacy achievement. But a signature without implementation is just ink on paper. We, the NELFUND beneficiaries across Nigeria, are not asking for a favour. We are asking you to keep your promise, and we will march to the polls in 2027 with your name on our lips, your poster in our hands, and your victory in our votes. Fail us, and we will become your strongest opposition. The future of your administration are currently sitting in crowded lecture halls, and waiting for upkeep loans. Do not keep us waiting too long.

God bless the management of NELFUND.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Muhammad Bashir Abdulhafiz wrote from Jos, and can be reached via abdulhafizmuhammad81@gmail.com instantly.