NELFUND has boosted student enrolment

A university scholar, Dr. Akinola Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa, has said Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is boosting student enrolment in tertiary institutions across the country.

He spoke in a radio interview monitored at the weekend in , capital.

Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa said the interest-free student loan scheme introduced by the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had removed major financial barriers that previously forced many indigent students to drop out or defer their education.

He said the scheme was providing access to funding for tuition, upkeep and other academic needs.

“NELFUND has encouraged more young Nigerians especially from low-income backgrounds—to pursue or continue higher education without interruption”

The scholar enumerated recent successes of the initiative, noting that thousands of students in Ondo State alone have benefited.

‘’For instance, institutions like the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), have reported over 3,000 beneficiaries, while Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), has seen more than a thousand students receive substantial loan disbursements totaling millions of naira.

“People do not loiter at Government House or around politicians to pay the school fees of their children in higher institutions anymore.

‘’These supports have helped stabilise enrolment figures and reduced dropout rates linked to financial hardship.’’

Dr. Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa described the scheme as a game-changer, saying it not only sustains current students, but also attracts prospective ones, who may have otherwise opted out of tertiary education due to costs.

He praised the zero-interest, no-collateral nature of the loans, which he said promoted equity and fostered national development through increased skilled manpower.