The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, has urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to intensify awareness of the student loan scheme to ensure that its benefits reach eligible Nigerians.
This is as the Fund disclosed that it had disbursed over N375 billion to students nationwide as of the end of October 2026, comprising more than N194 billion for institutional fees and over N180 billion for students’ upkeep allowances.
Sawyerr gave the charge during a sensitisation roadshow organised by the Fund at the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Federal Secretariat, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said the engagement was aimed at deepening awareness and understanding of the scheme, as well as addressing misconceptions through the provision of accurate information.
The NELFUND boss described MDAs as critical stakeholders in national development, noting that their proximity to citizens and employees placed them in a strategic position to disseminate information about the Federal Government’s initiative.
He appreciated the management and staff of the ministry for providing an opportunity for the Fund to explain its mandate, operations and the opportunities available to eligible Nigerian students seeking financial support for higher education.
Also speaking, the Director of SERVICOM at NELFUND, Olusola Fowobaje, said the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs was selected for the sensitisation exercise because of its grassroots engagement and role in poverty reduction.
He explained that although many civil servants might have encountered information about NELFUND through television and social media, the roadshow was designed to provide them with a deeper understanding of the scheme, particularly as parents and guardians of prospective beneficiaries.
According to him, the initiative became necessary to address situations where students obtain loans from NELFUND while their parents, unaware of the arrangement, continue to pay their school fees.
Fowobaje stressed that the scheme was not a commercial product but an interest-free loan designed to provide access to higher education for students in public tertiary institutions.
He said the initiative was intended to ensure that financial limitations did not prevent children from accessing educational opportunities, irrespective of their parents’ economic circumstances.
“The children should not start where the father stops. The Federal Government has come out to say this money is available for your children to go to school,” he said.
He added that the Fund was working to simplify its operations and ensure efficient service delivery to beneficiaries.
Fowobaje said NELFUND would continue to provide financial assistance to eligible students in public tertiary institutions, reduce school dropout rates caused by financial constraints, promote human capital development and ensure equitable access to quality education.
He disclosed that the sensitisation team had earlier visited the Ministry of Regional Development, with plans to extend the exercise to other MDAs and security agencies, including military and paramilitary barracks.
According to him, the Fund had disbursed over N375 billion to students nationwide as of the end of October 2026, comprising more than N194 billion for institutional fees and over N180 billion for students’ upkeep allowances.
During the engagement, participants were taken through the NELFUND application portal and disbursement processes, while concerns relating to the sustainability of the scheme, the death of a beneficiary, and the repayment period and procedures after securing employment were also addressed.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olubumi Olusanya, represented by the Assistant Director, Training and Staff Welfare, Eweje Ololade Modukpe, commended NELFUND for the initiative, describing the presentation as an eye-opener for the ministry’s staff.
She noted that the sensitisation had helped dispel doubts surrounding the existence and operations of the scheme.
Modukpe said the ministry initially had reservations about the engagement because its staff were not students, but later recognised that they were parents and guardians whose children and dependants could benefit from the initiative.
She urged the staff to take advantage of the information provided and become advocates of the NELFUND scheme.
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