NELFUND Seeks Traditional Rulers’ Backing to Expand Student Loan Access

•Says over N107bn disbursed to 581,000 beneficiaries across 231 institutions

Sunday Ehigiator

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has called on Nigeria’s traditional rulers to partner the agency in deepening access to student loans and driving grassroots awareness about the government’s education financing initiative.

Sawyerr made the appeal while addressing a National Executive Committee Meeting of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), held recently in Lagos.

The meeting had the theme, “The Traditional Institution: The Imperative of Its Inclusion in the Effective and Efficient Governance in Nigeria.”

Describing the country’s monarchs as “the living history and heartbeat of the nation,” Sawyerr said the partnership of traditional leaders was essential to ensuring that no Nigerian child was denied education because of financial limitations.

He stated, “Your Majesties, you represent the bridge between our past, our present, and the future we must build together,” he said. “As we work to transform access to education in Nigeria, we come first to seek your wisdom, your guidance, and your blessing.”

Highlighting the progress made so far, the NELFUND boss revealed the agency had received 846,486 applications from students across the country, out of which 581,878 had already benefited.

According to him, 231 tertiary institutions have been fully on-boarded onto the NELFUND system, with the fund disbursing N107.68 billion since inception; comprising N46.35 billion in upkeep allowances to students and N61.33 billion in institutional fees paid directly to schools.

“These figures are more than just numbers,” Sawyerr said. “They represent lives transformed, dreams rekindled, and families given hope once again. But we know that our work has only just begun.”

He urged traditional rulers to use their influence to mobilise parents, students, and local institutions to embrace the initiative, stating that their endorsement would lend legitimacy and trust to the programme.

“When the Oba of Lagos speaks, Lagos listens. When the Ooni of Ife speaks, the Yoruba nation listens. When the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano, or the Obi of Onitsha speaks, the people listen,” he said.

“That is influence; deep, generational, and rooted in trust. Your endorsement will give this initiative legitimacy that no campaign can buy,” he added.

Sawyerr emphasised that NELFUND was a major pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to expand opportunity, reduce poverty, and empower every Nigerian through affordable education and skill development.

He stated that the fund’s mission was not just a social investment, but a moral obligation to build a Nigeria where every child, regardless of background, had equal access to quality education.

Sawyerr stated, “We envision a Nigeria where the child of a farmer in Katsina, a trader in Aba, or a fisherman in Bayelsa stands shoulder to shoulder with the best minds anywhere in the world. But that dream cannot be realised without your voice, your blessing, and your leadership.”

The NELFUND CEO urged the monarchs to help bridge the gap between government policy and grassroots realities by promoting trust and transparency among their subjects.

He reaffirmed NELFUND’s commitment to ensuring that education became a right, not a privilege, and that the Renewed Hope Agenda translated into tangible change for families across Nigeria.

Sawyerr said, “Together, let us make the Renewed Hope Agenda a living reality; one community, one child, and one opportunity at a time. Together, let us build a Nigeria where access to education is determined not by privilege, but by potential.”