NELFUND Takes Student Loan Sensitisation to MDAs, Says N375 Billion Disbursed

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has tasked Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with ensuring that the benefits of the student loan scheme reach the intended beneficiaries, describing them as critical to disseminating the right information about the scheme.

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 sensitisation was aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the scheme and addressing misconceptions with accurate information.

He said the Fund believes ministries are critical stakeholders in national development and have an important role to play in creating awareness and ensuring the laudable Federal Government initiative reaches its intended beneficiaries.

“I sincerely appreciate the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for providing this opportunity for us to engage with its management and staff. The purpose of this roadshow is to deepen awareness and understanding of NELFUND’s mandate, operations and the opportunity available to eligible Nigerian students to access financial support for higher education,” he said.

He commended the staff for their active participation, constructive engagement and valuable contributions during the session.

Also speaking, the Director of SERVICOM at NELFUND, Mr. Olusola Fowobaje, said the Fund chose the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for the sensitisation because of its closeness to the grassroots in efforts to reduce poverty.

He said although MDA workers may have heard about the Fund through television and social media, the information may not have been in-depth because of their busy schedules.

“They are parents and guardians, so they need the in-depth information of the product that NELFUND has, hence the initiative,” he said.

“The fortunate thing about this product is that we are not selling the product. We are giving it out in the form of loans to our students, to our children in federal and state government institutions, without interest. So the MD said we should take it to the doorsteps of our people,” he added.

He said the sensitisation team had visited the Ministry of Regional Development and has scheduled other engagements, including security agencies’ barracks.

He explained that the sensitisation became important following reports that some students collect the loan and still collect school fees from their parents.

“Some students, our children, collect this loan and still collect school fees from their parents. Because the parents, most of them are not aware, especially the educated parents like you. We’ve gone out a lot. And that is why we are bringing it to your doorsteps, the ministries, the departments and the agencies,” he said.

Fowobaje said the loan is intended to open doors of opportunity for deprived members of society who could not afford tertiary education because of lack of funds.

“The fact that someone is my gateman, his son or his children should not open the gate for my children. And that is the initiative because they now have access. 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 said the executive management of NELFUND is doing everything possible to make the process seamless and to serve Nigerians well.

According to him, the Fund will continue to provide financial assistance to eligible students in Nigerian public tertiary institutions, ensure sustainable financing of education through a transparent and accountable loan system, reduce the number of students who drop out due to financial constraints, promote human capital development and national productivity, and advance inclusive and equitable access to quality education.

The Fund said as at end of October 2026, over N375 billion had been disbursed to students across the country, comprising more than N194 billion for institutional fees and over N180 billion for students’ upkeep allowances.

The staff were taken through the rudiments of the NELFUND application portal and disbursement processes, with their fears allayed on sustainability, death of a beneficiary, and the period and mode of repayment after employment, among others.

The Permanent Secretary of the Humanitarian Ministry, Mrs. Olubunmi Olusanya, represented by the Assistant Director, Training/Staff Welfare, Mrs. Eweje Ololade Modukpe, said the Ministry appreciated the sensitisation, noting that it gave staff awareness and understanding of NELFUND, and that the presentations were an eye-opener.

“Some say it is real, some say it is political propaganda, but here they are today. That is to tell us that it is real, and that the office is existing, and the programme is real,” she said.

According to her, there was initially skepticism about granting the request, since the staff are not students.

“I remember, when the letter came, I was thinking within myself, we are not students. How does this affect us? So when I put a call through, it was explained, they are aware that we are not students, but we have children. We are all mothers, we are all fathers, and we are parents. Even if we don’t have one, we have people under us that we are training in school. So with that, we can even know how we can key in, and even if our children are already enjoying it, how do we even know? So these are some of the issues that were unravelled here today,” she said.