The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has made important strides in supporting tertiary education students in Nigeria.
As part of President Bola Tinubu's flagship project in the education sector, the Federal Government has paid the tuition fees of 20,000 students directly to their institutions.
This initiative is designed to provide financial assistance to low-income Nigerians, facilitating their access to higher education.
According to Akintunde Sawyer, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, the fund has disbursed tuition payments to six universities:
University of Ibadan, University of Benin, University of Maiduguri, University of Ilorin, and Bayero University, Kano. Sawyer revealed this during a summit and sensitization program organized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Rivers State.
He stated, "The implementation of the student loan scheme is President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector."
As of August 22, 2024, over 280,000 students have registered for the scheme, with approximately 256,000 completing the application process.
However, Sawyer noted that some delays in approving loan requests were due to errors made by students during the registration process, such as filing incorrect documents and providing false information.
He emphasized that the agency is committed to ensuring that only eligible students benefit from the scheme.
The event in Rivers State saw the attendance of various dignitaries, including representatives of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Commissioner for Youth Development Chisom Gbali, NANS leaders led by President Lucky Omonefe, Vice-Chancellors, students, and Traditional Rulers.
The summit aimed to educate students about the loan scheme and gather feedback. HRM Nwachukwu Nnam-Obi (III), Oba of Ogbaland, who was honored as the Royal Father of Nigerian Students, advised students to take advantage of this opportunity to excel.
NANS has pledged to continue its sensitization efforts across higher institutions in Rivers State to encourage more students to benefit from the loan scheme.
Earlier in the month, NELFUND announced the clearance of an additional 22 state-owned tertiary institutions to apply for student loans, bringing the total number of approved state institutions to 108.
Comments