More than half of the Nigerian student loan applications came from the North, with the North West leading at 167,000

Key takeaways

  • With 167,639 applications, the North West zone accounts for the highest number of student loan submissions, representing a significant concentration of demand in that region.
  • The North East follows with 134,359 applications, bringing the northern region's combined total to over 300,000, more than half of all zonal submissions.
  • The South West stands as the highest-contributing southern zone with 104,079 applications, showing a strong but comparatively lower demand than the North.
  • The South East recorded just 29,097 applications, the lowest across all six geopolitical zones.

Student loan demand across Nigeria paints a clear picture of regional imbalance. As of May 2025, the North West leads the nation with 167,639 student loan applications, followed closely by the North East with 134,359. Together, these two zones make up a significant share of the national total, revealing strong uptake in the northern region, possibly reflecting greater institutional mobilisation, awareness, or need.

In contrast, southern zones like the South East (29,097) and South South (39,774) show much lower figures, raising questions about access, outreach, or trust in the loan programme in those regions. The South West, though the most engaged in the South with 104,079 applications, still falls far behind its northern counterparts.

Source:

NELFUND

Period:

May 2025
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