- Sawyerr reiterated President Tinubu’s dedication to ensuring financial constraints don’t hinder students’ tertiary education
The Federal Government has announced March as the definitive month for launching the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund) portal to assist eligible students.
Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, the Executive Secretary of NELFund, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, urging eligible students to register for access to the fund.
The initiative stems from President Bola Tinubu signing the Access to Higher Education Bill into law on June 12, 2023, facilitating interest-free loans for financially disadvantaged students pursuing tertiary education in Nigeria.
Initially slated to commence between September and October 2023, unforeseen circumstances led to a revised timeline set for January.
Explaining the delay, Sawyerr emphasized the technical nature of the process, necessitating meticulous preparation for effective implementation.
Highlighting the importance of precision, Sawyerr stated, “This is not a political programme where we say, oh! we will do it, it doesn’t matter how it works. This programme will probably run beyond me as a human being.”
Sawyerr reiterated President Tinubu’s dedication to ensuring financial constraints don’t hinder students’ tertiary education pursuits.
The scheme, tailored for financially disadvantaged Nigerian students in tertiary institutions, will facilitate online applications, ensuring accessibility for all applicants.
Sawyerr emphasized fairness, stating, “We want this to be a process that is fair to all.” He also highlighted the portal’s wide advertisement to enable applicants from diverse backgrounds to access the platform and undergo eligibility assessments based on provided data and responses.