Dr. Onoji made this appeal during a visit from the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and his team on Monday. He emphasized that NELFUND was created to offer financial support to students across the country, highlighting the importance for PTI students to seize this opportunity.
During the visit, Akintunde Sawyerr informed the students that NELFUND is available to both new and returning students in Nigerian tertiary institutions. He stated, “The funds will be disbursed within a reasonable timeframe following successful applications.”
Sawyerr explained that the loan is designed to assist qualified Nigerian students with tuition fees, other related expenses, and living costs while studying at accredited tertiary and vocational institutions in Nigeria. He urged students to take advantage of the resources offered by NELFUND to enhance their educational experience, noting that it is an initiative established by the Federal Government.
He also shared that NELFUND has allocated over N104 billion to 613,734 students from various Nigerian tertiary institutions since its inception, with projections indicating that the number of beneficiaries could reach approximately 2.1 million. The funds provided include direct payments for institutional fees and upkeep loans transferred to the accounts specified by the applicants.
The NELFUND Managing Director stated that the organization's mandate encompasses students attending government-owned tertiary institutions, such as polytechnics (including PTI), universities, and colleges of education.
The loan program is specifically targeted at these students, operating within established legal and regulatory parameters. Currently, approximately 417,000 students are registered on the platform, with roughly 328,000 applications submitted.
A portion of these applications have been processed, a significant number remain under review, and a substantial majority are anticipated to receive funding.