Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has confirmed that some beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) received duplicate June and July upkeep allowances, attributing the development to a payment system error.
NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, disclosed the development in a post on X on Friday, explaining that the duplicate disbursements were allegedly caused by a glitch on the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) payment platform.
He advised affected students not to spend the additional funds, saying the excess payment could be treated as an advance against future monthly upkeep allowances.
According to Babatunde, NELFUND did not deliberately make duplicate payments and beneficiaries should retain the extra money in case it is deducted from subsequent disbursements.
“Students who received double payments are advised to keep the excess funds and avoid spending them until further clarification,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, NELFUND had yet to issue an official statement confirming the duplicate payments or explaining whether the funds would be recovered or offset against future allowances.
Babatunde also appealed to students who are yet to receive their allowances to remain patient, assuring them that payments are being processed in batches.
NELFUND provides eligible students with monthly upkeep allowances alongside tuition payments made directly to their institutions as part of the Federal Government’s education financing initiative.
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Korede Abdullah