NELFUND: NASS wants expansion of students loan, targets 7m beneficiaries
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The National Assembly on Monday collaborated with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for the expansion of the scheme from 1.6 million direct beneficiaries to 7 million for real national transformation.
This is as the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, declared that beneficiaries of the scheme which has gulped N282billion in terms of disbursements, would cover 50 million beneficiaries through planned expansion into skills acquisition, technical/vocational education and training.
Speaking at a one-day National sensitization programme on Student Loans organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND in collaboration with the Fund, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, said the sensitization was timely as more indigent Nigerians are waiting for the intervention.
“No matter how beneficial a programme is, if the intended beneficiaries are not adequately informed about it, its impact will be limited.
“People need to understand what the programme entails and how they can access it. That is exactly what this sensitization campaign is all about and should be taken round the entire six geo – political zones,” he said.
In his own remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Students Loans, Scholarships and Tertiary Education Financing, Hon Ifeoluwa Eyindoro, said the sensitization was both timely and important.
“This sensitization programme is both timely and important, as it helps create awareness and deepen understanding of the opportunities available to students through the scheme.
“The Fund has recorded the remarkable achievement of reaching over 1.5 million beneficiary students and disbursing more than ₦282 billion to support Nigerian scholars,” he said.
Giving clearer statistics on coverage of the scheme so far in his speech, the Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, said 1.6million Nigerian students had benefited directly from the scheme so far, which, according to him translates into 10million indirectly.
“Today, 1.6 million Nigerian students have directly benefited from the NELFUND scheme. If we consider that the average Nigerian family consists of about five people, it means we are directly and indirectly impacting nearly 10 million lives.
“We are, however, appealing to stakeholders on the need to expand the student loan scheme to target up to 7 million beneficiaries across Nigerian tertiary institutions and vocational centers for required driving and real national transformation,” he said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Chairman, Senate Committee on TETFUND, Senator Muntari Dandutse, said the collaborative sensitization programme was in furtherance of the committee’s constitutional oversight, responsibilities and commitment to ensuring equitable access to education by all Nigerians.
