Northern Varsities More Proactive In Loan Scheme – NELFUND

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has reported a higher number of loan applications from northern Nigerian institutions, according to Executive Secretary Akintonde Sawyer. This trend was revealed during a briefing with State House Correspondents following the official launch of NELFUND by President Bola Tinubu.

Sawyer attributed the surge in applications from northern universities to their proactive approach and robust networking. “Institutions in the north of the country have been very proactive at supporting and helping their students and in providing their data to us,” he said. This proactive stance has positioned northern universities at the forefront of benefiting from the loan scheme.

Despite initial skepticism in southern Nigeria, there is growing interest and awareness about the programme. Sawyer emphasized that the disbursement of funds is genuine and fully backed by President Tinubu. He assured southern institutions of the legitimacy of NELFUND, aiming to dispel doubts and encourage participation.

Sawyer highlighted the distribution of loan demands across different educational institutions, noting that universities have the highest demand, followed by polytechnics and teacher training colleges. “The universities are the ones with the highest demand for the loans, then the polytechnics, and then the teacher training colleges,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the loan scheme will significantly impact the lives of many Nigerians. “It’s a great privilege, great honour to be part of a programme that will change so many lives over so long a period into the future,” Sawyer said. He commended President Tinubu for his vision and courage in implementing the programme, predicting that it will bring fortune to the entire nation.

NELFUND aims to provide financial assistance to needy but capable Nigerians, ultimately supporting those who will shape the future of the country. “These are the most important people in the country that we’re trying to affect,” Sawyer concluded, expressing optimism about the scheme’s long-term benefits.