What happened with NELFUND in the Southeast is a textbook case of systemic discrimination. The rules look neutral and state that all students in federal and state institutions are eligible.
However, the process isn’t neutral. Requirements like JAMB numbers or timely institutional data uploads intersect with regional realities. Schools in some zones are slower, ICT systems are weaker, or students are more likely to enter through non-JAMB pathways.
The outcome isn’t neutral either. Southeast students were locked out in large numbers, while other zones proceeded smoothly.
That’s the essence of systemic discrimination — no one writes “exclude X region” into the law, but the design and implementation of the system reinforce existing inequalities.
Calling it systemic discrimination is accurate, because it’s not intentional on the face of the law. But it produces exclusion along existing fault lines.
Eligibility Depends on Institutional Verification—Not Geography
As NELFUND’s managing director emphasized, student eligibility is not determined by geopolitical region. Instead, it hinges on whether each institution has submitted and verified its students’ data in time.
Some Southeast institutions are now beneficiaries. Early in the rollout, none from the Southeast received funds because they hadn’t completed verification in time. Later, updates revealed that at least four institutions had subsequently benefited.
This shows the scheme is expanding into the region as compliance improves.
Southeast Students Eligibility
Eligibility for Southeast students hinges on two factors. Institutional data verification must be completed. Once their schools comply, those students can apply.
There is an active inclusion efforts—as institutions “catch up,” their students are becoming eligible.
So the change is already happening piecemeal—some institutions have gained access, and others are still working to meet verification requirements. NELFUND’s continued outreach means eligibility is expanding steadily across the region.
