The Vice Chancellor of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Professor Jonathan Babalola, has criticized the Federal Government for excluding students of private universities from benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund).
Speaking during a press briefing ahead of the institution’s 20th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Babalola described the exclusion as unfair and discriminatory. He argued that students of both public and private universities are Nigerians and should have equal access to government support.
“It is insincere for the federal government to deny private university students access to NELFund. These loans are funded by taxes paid by all Nigerians, including those in the private sector,” Babalola said. “Why discriminate between students in public and private universities? There are indigent students in private institutions too.”
The VC gave an example of a student in Bowen University who survives on one meal per day because his parents struggle to pay tuition through loans.
“Not all students in private universities are wealthy. Some attend these schools through great financial sacrifices,” he added.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund was established in 2024 following the signing of the Student Loan Act by President Bola Tinubu. The scheme provides interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition and living expenses, with repayment expected after graduation and employment.
As of October 2025, NELFund reported that over ₦116.4 billion had been disbursed to beneficiaries, covering tuition and upkeep allowances for more than 624,000 students across the country.
Professor Babalola announced that 1,064 students would graduate this year from Bowen University across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Of these, 143 will graduate with First Class Honours, 394 with Second Class Upper, 221 with Second Class Lower, 69 with Third Class, and 5 with Pass degrees.
In the College of Health Sciences, 30 students will graduate with Distinction, 80 with Credit, and three with Pass grades in programmes such as Physiotherapy and Nursing Science. A total of 66 students will be awarded the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB;BS) degree.
Additionally, 18 graduates will receive Postgraduate Diplomas, 26 will be awarded Master’s degrees, and 9 will earn Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.
Babalola also celebrated Bowen’s consistent record of academic excellence. He noted that for the sixth consecutive year, the university had produced scholars recognized among the world’s Top 2% of Scientists, a global ranking compiled by Stanford University and Elsevier.
Furthermore, 13 Bowen lecturers were listed among Nigeria’s Top 500 Authors between 2021 and 2025, based on research output and scholarly impact as measured by SCOPUS/SCiVal.
The VC expressed gratitude to the university’s staff for their dedication and service, noting that the upcoming convocation would mark the end of tenure for the Registrar, Mr. Babatunde Adeona; the University Librarian, Dr. Aderonke Otunla; and the Chaplain, Rev. Dr. Gideon Akanbi.
He commended their contributions to the growth of the institution, describing them as “pillars of excellence who have served with integrity and distinction.”
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