By Muazu Elazeh

Nigeria faces numerous challenges that demand focused, committed, and determined leadership. Across ethnic and religious divides, the consensus is that the nation is at a watershed moment that requires a comprehensive reboot, a wholesale overhaul, far-reaching restructuring, or a complete, large-scale renewal – whichever diction you prefer.

If we do not confront these challenges head-on, we risk losing not only the nation but also our shared humanity. Whether it is rising insecurity, high cost of living, endemic poverty, concerning health indicators, or widespread corruption, one thing is certain: Nigeria desperately needs a reset. From profound systemic transformation to a strategic shift away from recycled leadership, the citizens agree that a fresh start is essential.

If there is one thing most Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation or other primordial sentiments, agree on, it is that the country must start afresh. Many, rightly so, believe that such a rebirth must begin with effective education.

Although the nation faces an alarming unemployment rate that has left millions of graduates roaming the streets in search of jobs, the importance of education cannot be overstated. Without education, many of Nigeria’s leaders today would likely have lived and died in obscurity, trapped by poverty.

Nothing highlights the importance of education more than the situation in Northern Nigeria. As the region lags behind much of the country in educational development, it now records some of Nigeria’s lowest human development indicators. Beyond individual advancement, education remains essential for national progress. There is simply no denying that Nigeria needs a reset. And only a functional, accessible, and high-quality education system can guarantee that.

Regrettably, there are clear signs that the country’s education sector may be unable to deliver the transformation Nigeria desperately requires, because it needs urgent reform. The truth is straightforward: you cannot give what you do not possess. That is the tragedy facing our nation.

The sector is burdened by numerous challenges, many exacerbated by entrenched corruption. Almost daily, there are allegations of sex-for-grade, admission racketeering, certificate forgery aided by academic and non-academic staff, extortion during project supervision, or outright embezzlement of research grants.

Embarrassingly, the extent of corruption within some tertiary institutions seems to be growing, as recently revealed by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). The revelations have once again underscored the severity of the crisis facing higher education in Nigeria.

NELFUND recently accused some tertiary institutions of withholding students’ tuition refunds and arbitrarily increasing school charges after receiving student loan payments. While the Fund states it has begun engaging with the affected institutions to ensure students receive their refunds promptly and that institutional charges remain fair and transparent, this should not be enough. There is an urgent need to publicly identify and shame every institution involved in this illegal practice.

It is equally troubling that NELFUND has not yet identified those institutions and officials responsible for what amounts to a blatant act of corruption. Even more concerning is the lack of response from the country’s anti-graft agencies, which should have already summoned the affected officials for questioning.

How can managers of institutions established to shape future leaders stoop to the level of withholding tuition refunds from students who have already paid their fees before NELFUND released the funds? Why should publicly funded tertiary institutions arbitrarily increase fees and other charges just because students have accessed loans intended to ease their financial burdens?

When the Bola Tinubu administration introduced NELFUND, its objective was unmistakable: to remove financial barriers preventing young Nigerians from accessing higher education. The removal of fuel subsidy triggered sharp increases in transportation costs, rent, food prices, school fees and virtually every other essential service. To cushion the effect, especially within the education sector, the government introduced the student loan scheme.

It is, therefore, tragic that public tertiary institutions, which should maintain relatively affordable fees to support indigent students, are instead undermining the scheme through unethical practices. Some reportedly fail to inform students that loans have been paid on their behalf while still demanding tuition payments. Others allegedly exploit the scheme to impose unjustified charges.

NELFUND’s concerns echoed those of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), which similarly raised alarm over the widespread abuse of the student loan programme by some tertiary institutions. The agency accused certain institutions of colluding with banks to shortchange beneficiaries of the scheme.

According to the NOA, investigations found that some institutions deliberately withheld important information from students, colluded with banks to delay payments to successful applicants, and, in several instances, failed to recognise loan disbursements made by NELFUND.

Taken together, the concerns raised by NELFUND and the NOA expose the depth of the corruption that has become almost endemic in the nation’s higher education system. They paint not only the affected institutions but Nigeria itself in an extremely poor light.

Essentially, these unethical practices provoke troubling questions about the moral authority of institutions intended to shape young Nigerians’ character. If educational institutions can engage in such behaviour, how can they convincingly teach integrity, accountability, and ethical leadership?

One thing is clear. While Nigerians view NELFUND as an opportunity to expand access to higher education, some officials at certain institutions seem to regard it as just another avenue for enrichment.

It is precisely this mentality that has steadily eroded public confidence in the nation’s ivory towers. Institutions that are expected to certify students as worthy in both learning and character are increasingly becoming centres of unethical conduct.

But all of these, and many other, unethical practices occur because accountability mechanisms within many higher institutions remain alarmingly weak. Most institutions lack functioning anti-corruption units, and those that do exist are often merely symbolic structures.

If there were to be a genuine culture of accountability, arbitrary fee hikes, especially for postgraduate programmes, would not persist without valid justification or transparency. If accountability truly mattered, honorary doctorate degrees would not be awarded randomly until the National Universities Commission was compelled to intervene and establish guidelines for the process.

The extent of decay in some of the country’s higher education institutions is alarming. Unless swift action is taken to address this decline, Nigeria may one day find that it no longer has institutions truly deserving the name.

NELFUND’s complaint is deeply troubling, just as is the silence of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and the Forum of Governing Council Members in Tertiary Institutions (FOGOCOM). The muted voices of both academic and non-academic staff are no less disturbing. There appears to be a conspiracy of silence, suggesting that those who should be speaking out from within the universities have chosen to observe table manners rather than speak out.

The anti-graft agencies must act swiftly to investigate every allegation and prosecute anyone found guilty. There should be no sacred cows. Failure to respond decisively will only encourage others to exploit a scheme meant to expand access to education, despite its flaws.

NELFUND is one of the most important initiatives to broaden access to higher education in recent years. It must not fail because of the greed of a few individuals. If Nigeria truly desires the reset it continually seeks, then protecting the integrity of the education system and safeguarding NELFUND must be regarded as a national priority. There must be an end to corruption in the student loan scheme.

—Elazeh is the GMD of LEADERSHIP Newspaper. He can be reached via:@babanyesme or 08022029766