President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) be channelled into the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to strengthen the financing of student loans in Nigeria.

The directive was disclosed on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.

According to the Minister, the move is aimed at ensuring that NELFUND remains financially capable of meeting its growing obligations under the Federal Government's student loan scheme.

Alausa said the President had directed that all liquid funds recovered by the EFCC be channelled to NELFUND. He explained that the measure was intended to provide additional financial support for Nigerian students benefiting from the education loan programme.

The Federal Executive Council also approved the transfer of unclaimed dividends from the Capital Market Trust Fund and the Dormant Account Trust Fund to NELFUND.

The additional funding is expected to strengthen the student loan scheme as the number of beneficiaries and the financial obligations of the education loan fund continue to grow.

The development comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to expand access to tertiary education through the student loan programme, which is designed to provide financial assistance to eligible Nigerian students.

However, reports indicate that the directive concerns recoverable liquid funds, while assets or funds still subject to legal proceedings would remain subject to the relevant judicial and statutory processes.

The President also directed relevant government agencies to work out the modalities for implementing the transfer and ensuring that the funds are appropriately deployed to support the sustainability of NELFUND.

The latest directive marks a significant policy step by the Tinubu administration in linking proceeds from anti-corruption recoveries with the financing of education and student support programmes.