The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has called on the South-South and South-East regions to increase their participation in the student loan scheme.
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The fund stated this yesterday during its stakeholdersโ engagement session and technical workshop on system automation and the loan application process in Abuja.
The fund cited a noticeable disparity in applications compared to other parts of the country.
The three-day event, which began on Monday with universities, will continue tomorrow with polytechnics, monotechnics, and institutes. The final day, on the 7th, will feature colleges of education, agriculture, health, and nursing.
Speaking, the managing director and chief executive officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the gathering is a critical milestone in the organisationโs collective journey to deliver a fully digitised, transparent, and student-centric financial aid system for Nigerian higher education.
Responding to reports that NELFUND was paying students who have already graduated, he clarified that the fund handles government and taxpayersโ money, and no disbursement would be rushed.
โWe have to adhere to our processes. If a person has already paid their fees in their final year, and weโve paid their tuition, it is the obligation of that individual to go to school. I know my fees are now being paid by an officer.
โBut to complain that youโve already graduated and youโve left, the fact of the matter is, people applied in their final year. You have to go through a process that allows us to make sure that they are the ones who are actually applying and who actually need it. Again, let me just point out this thing about delays.โ
According to him, the meeting is intended to influence how the platform evolves and how they address practical challenges faced by institutions and students alike.
Ifeoluwa Ehindero, chairman of the House Committee on Students Loan, Scholarships, and Higher Education Financing, said that for the system to be truly effective, they need to modernise and streamline how they manage, track, and deliver these funds to deserving students.
According to him, automating and optimising the NELFUND system will create a more transparent, efficient, and responsive process for loan applications, approvals, and disbursements.
โThis is essential for the initiativeโs success and will go a long way in ensuring that our students benefit in a timely and accountable manner.
โAs members of the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loans, we have worked tirelessly to ensure that the legislative framework supports and facilitates these reforms. However, legislative efforts alone are not enough.
โWe need your expertise, feedback, and active participation to ensure that we have a system that works for everyone, from the students applying for loans to the institutions managing the funds.
โThis workshop is not just a platform for training but also an opportunity for collaboration. As you interact with the NELFUND system, your insights into how we can improve its functionality will be invaluable in helping us refine and enhance it to meet the needs of our institutions and students.โ
Executive Director of Operations at NELFUND, Mr Iyal Mustapha, earlier disclosed in his presentation that over 576,058 students have registered, with a total application value of โฆ170,437,179,836.
He also urged institutions in the South East and South South to improve sensitisation efforts for timely loan applications.
Lawal Mohammed Faruk, a representative of the National Universities Commission (NUC), said NELFUND is one of the federal governmentโs best policies.
โOur dream is to see NELFUND one day onboard all the students in the country, whether public or private,โ he said.
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