The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has expressed its readiness to strengthen collaboration with the Ogun State Government to expand awareness and participation in the Federal Government’s students’ loan scheme.
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, stated this on Thursday after a courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Sawyerr said the engagement was aimed at deepening cooperation between the Fund and the state, particularly in the area of sensitization, given Ogun’s large number of secondary and tertiary institutions.
“Part of this meeting is to appreciate the governor for what he is doing. Going forward, we have agreed to deepen our collaboration and support for the State because it has the highest number of educational institutions in the country,” he said.
He described NELFUND as a national initiative of President Tinubu designed to ensure that Nigerians are not denied access to education due to financial challenges.
He also commended Ogun State for its education-driven programmes and the governor’s proactive efforts in encouraging students to embrace the loan scheme.
According to him, the Fund secured assurances from the Ogun State Government on additional incentives that would motivate students in the state to participate in the programme.
Sawyerr explained that despite aggressive sensitization efforts since the launch of the scheme, many Nigerians remain unaware of its benefits due to the country’s large population and long-standing mistrust of government initiatives.
“In a few months of our existence, we have received over 1.2 million applications, and that is not a small number for an 18-month-old scheme,” he said.
“There has been mistrust in government for decades, so some people dismiss the initiative outright. But each time we pay beneficiaries, our application numbers double or triple,” he added.
The NELFUND chief urged Nigerians, particularly the youth, to take advantage of the students’ loan scheme to advance their educational pursuits.
He also called on those already aware of the programme to help spread the information within their communities to ensure wider reach and impact.
