The Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba in Kogi State, Prof. Salisu Usman, says 4,032 students have been approved for loans under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Usman said this while defending the university’s fee increase at an investigative hearing organised by the Kogi State House of Assembly in Lokoja, the state capital, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The hearing followed a petition alleging arbitrary increases in fees by the management of PAAU and Kogi State Polytechnic.
The VC said the recent fee review was not arbitrary, but part of a unified fee structure approved by the Kogi State Government for its three state-owned universities.
Usman said the review followed a government directive issued in 2024 to harmonise fees across state-owned tertiary institutions.
Usman said PAAU’s charges were comparatively lower than those of similar institutions in neighbouring states.
He added that majority of the controversy centred on medical programmes such as Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), Nursing and Medical Laboratory Science, which require huge investments, particularly during clinical training.
The VC commended his predecessor, Prof. Marietu Tenuche, for reintroducing the medical programmes, which collapsed in 2012.
He also lauded former Governor Yahaya Bello for supporting stranded medical students and commended Governor Usman Ododo for sustaining medical education in Kogi State.
Usman disclosed that 4,032 students had been approved for NELFUND loans totalling N536.7 million to pay school fees, while another 600 applications were pending.
Usman urged students to take advantage of the scheme, which he said also provided a N20,000 monthly upkeep allowance, with repayment commencing two years after graduation upon securing an employment.
NELFUND introduces token system to stop students’ double payment of fees
Earlier, the Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, said the government followed due process in reviewing fees, considering economic realities and the interests of parents and students.
Jones said the directive was issued to PAAU in 2024 but implemented inconsistently across departments, prompting full implementation to ensure compliance.
He dismissed claims that Kogi State Polytechnic increased its fees, saying its Rector had instead reduced accommodation charges by N5,000.
The Chairman of House Committee on Education, Idris Maikudi, said the House mandated relevant committees to investigate the petition and compare the institutions’ charges with those of neighbouring states.
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