From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) and Borno State government have fine-tuned measures that would ensure more access to student loan programme by students in the state.
The measures were endorsed by both parties when the Managing Director of NELFund, Akintunde Sawyerr, visited Borno State to engage with students, educators, and government officials, on the benefits of the NELFund initiative.
Mr. Sawyerr emphasized on President Tinubu’s commitment to revitalizing education in the country, stating that the loan programme was designed to also reduce unproductivity and unhappiness amongst Nigerians students, which often lead to broader societal issues.
He added that the loan’s modalities include creating an online profile as a prerequisite for application, clarifying that the loan is interest-free and does not require a fixed repayment period, thus making it accessible and flexible for students.
Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, in his remarks, reiterated the state government’s commitment to facilitating student access to the loan, hence announced the establishment of a dedicated desk officer for NELFund in the state-own institutions.
Wakilbe added that the initiative will guide students throughout the application process and ensure they fully understand the benefits of the loan which, he described, as a low-risk grant, and encouraged all eligible students to take advantage of the programme.
Meanwhile, during the interactive session, students asked several questions seeking further clarification, and the Managing Director provided detailed responses, thus shedding more light on the programme and its benefits.