The Federal Government says it has paid the tuition fees of 20,000 students directly to their institutions through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
This initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector, aimed at providing access to higher education for indigent or low-income Nigerians.
According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyer, the fund has paid the tuition fees of 20,000 students in six universities, including the University of Ibadan, University of Benin, University of Maiduguri, University of Ilorin, and Bayero University, Kano.
As of August 22, 2024, over 280,000 students have registered for the scheme, with about 256,000 completing the application process.
However, some delays have been experienced due to errors made by students during the registration process, such as filing wrong documents and false information.
The NELFUND has also cleared an additional 22 state-owned tertiary institutions to apply for student loans, bringing the total number of approved state institutions to 108.
This move is expected to benefit more students across the country.
The event, organized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in collaboration with NELFUND, aimed to educate students in higher institutions about the loan scheme and gather feedback from them.
Representatives of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Commissioner for Youth Development, Rivers State, Chisom Gbali, and NANS leaders led by President Lucky Omonefe were in attendance.
The Royal Father of Nigerian Students, HRM Nwachukwu Nnam-Obi (III) Oba of Ogbaland, Rivers State, advised students to take advantage of this opportunity to excel.
