*As over 20,000 FUT Minna students benefit
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to higher education for Nigerian students through Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) irrespective of their socio-economic background.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyer, stated this at a Democracy Day celebration in Bayero University Kano (BUK).
The event was organised by the Students’ Union leaders across Northern States with the theme, “Thank You President Tinubu for Making Democracy Work for Students.”
Sawyer, who was represented by Lami Suwaid, the Director Loan Allocation and Distribution, said the event celebrated not only democracy, but also inclusion, opportunity, justice and equal access to national development.
According to her, the students’ loan scheme is among the most transformative interventions in Nigeria’s education sector in recent years.
She said the initiative was designed to ensure that no Nigerian student is denied higher education because of financial constraints.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, said NELFUND had positively impacted many Nigerians.
He said the scheme had reduced financial burdens on parents and enabled thousands of students to pursue higher education.
According to him, many beneficiaries would have been unable to continue their education without the intervention.
Abdulaziz described the programme as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to sustainable and people-oriented policies.
He said the President remained focused on providing lasting interventions capable of improving citizens’ welfare and economic well-being.
The SUG Presidents of Bayero University, Northwest University and Yusuf Maitama Sule University of Education commended the initiative.
They said the programme had given thousands of students access to higher education without financial hindrance.
The students leaders said NELFUND had eased financial pressure on families and expanded opportunities for young Nigerians.
The students also praised the Federal Government for prioritising education and youth development through the programme.
No fewer than 20,000 students of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, are currently benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The Dean, Student Affairs, Prof. Bashiru Ganiyu, stated this on Friday while speaking at the 2026 Students’ Democracy Day Rally held at the University Auditorium.
He said the scheme had helped prevent students from dropping out due to financial difficulties in paying school fees.
The rally was organised by the Students’ Union Government to appreciate the Federal Government for introducing the NELFUND programme.
“As at last count, the Federal University of Technology, Minna, has over 20,000 students benefiting from NELFUND this session. In the past, before NELFUND was introduced, we normally had between 5,000 and 8,000 students unable to pay school fees every semester.
“But this time around, we don’t have any student unable to pay his or her school fees on account of financial difficulties,” he said.
According to the dean, FUT Minna has synchronised all NELFUND-benefiting students into the institution’s portal for easy identification and allocation of hostel accommodation.
He described the scheme as one of the best democratic dividends in Nigeria, directly impacting students across the country.
Also speaking, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, NELFUND, Aliyu Mohammed, said that in two years, N288 billion had been disbursed to 1.5 million students across 288 tertiary institutions in the country.
He said the scheme is technology-driven and automated, making it easier to address challenges associated with disbursement and multiple applications from individual students.
Mallam Awwal Abubakar, NELFUND Coordinator for the North-Central Zone, commended the students for appreciating the President for deeming it fit to introduce the policy.
He said that in the past, pursuing higher education was a challenge for many children, especially those from less privileged homes.
He charged the students to make judicious use of the opportunity to pursue their academic careers, describing the rally as a celebration of Nigeria’s future, “we thank Mr President for the NELFUND loan scheme.”
Mohammed said NELFUND was introduced to ensure that no Nigerian child “is denied access to education because of financial difficulties.”
He noted that many students were yet to take advantage of the opportunity and urged them to apply directly through the scheme’s portal.
He also charged student union leaders to encourage their colleagues to apply by sharing accurate information about the programme.
(NAN)
