The Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, has called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to intensify awareness of its student loan scheme to ensure that eligible Nigerians benefit from the Federal Government’s intervention in financing higher education.
Managing of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said government institutions were critical stakeholders in disseminating accurate information about the scheme and addressing misconceptions that could prevent eligible students from accessing the facility.
Sawyerr made the call on Wednesday during a sensitisation roadshow organised by the Fund for management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
He said the engagement was designed to deepen understanding of NELFUND’s mandate, operations and opportunities available to eligible Nigerian students, while equipping parents and guardians with reliable information about the scheme.
“I sincerely appreciate the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for providing this opportunity for us to engage with its management and staff.
“The purpose of this roadshow is to deepen awareness and understanding of NELFUND’s mandate, operations and the opportunity available to eligible Nigerian students to access financial support for higher education,” he said.
The NELFUND chief executive commended the ministry’s staff for their active participation, constructive engagement and contributions during the sensitisation exercise.
Also speaking, NELFUND’s Director of SERVICOM, Olusola Fowobaje, explained that the ministry was selected because of its proximity to grassroots communities and its role in the Federal Government’s poverty reduction efforts.
He noted that although many civil servants might have encountered information about NELFUND through television and social media, they might not have sufficient knowledge of the scheme because of their demanding work schedules.
According to him, government workers are also parents and guardians who need detailed information to guide their children and wards seeking financial assistance for tertiary education.
“The fortunate thing about this product is that we are not selling the product. We are giving it out in the form of loans to our students, to our children in federal and state government institutions, without interest. So the CEO said we should take it to the doorsteps of our people,” Fowobaje said.
He disclosed that the sensitisation team had earlier visited the Ministry of Regional Development, adding that further engagements had been scheduled with other institutions, including security agencies and military barracks.
Fowobaje said the initiative was also necessary to address situations in which some students received NELFUND loans but continued collecting tuition fees from their parents because the latter were unaware that the Fund had already covered their institutional charges.
“We’ve gone out a lot. And that is why we are bringing it to your doorsteps, the ministries, the departments and the agencies,” he said.
He described the scheme as an important social intervention designed to remove financial barriers to higher education and ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds could access opportunities previously beyond their reach.
“The fact that someone is my gateman, his son or his children should not open the gate for my children. And that is the initiative because they now have access.
“The children should not start where the father stops. The Federal Government has come out to say this money is available for your children to go to school,” he said.
Fowobaje assured Nigerians that the Fund’s management was working to make the loan application and administration processes seamless, transparent and accountable.
He said NELFUND would continue to provide financial assistance to eligible students in public tertiary institutions, reduce student dropouts caused by financial constraints, promote human capital development and advance equitable access to quality education.
The Fund disclosed that it had disbursed more than N375 billion to students across the country as of October 2026. The amount comprised over N194 billion for institutional fees and more than N180 billion in student upkeep allowances.
During the engagement, ministry officials were also taken through the NELFUND application portal and disbursement procedures.
Questions bordering on the sustainability of the scheme, the death of a loan beneficiary, repayment periods and the mode of repayment after securing employment were addressed.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Olubumi Olusanya, represented by the Assistant Director, Training and Staff Welfare, Eweje Ololade Modukpe, described the sensitisation exercise as an eye-opener for the ministry’s workforce.
She said the engagement had helped dispel doubts about the existence and credibility of the scheme.
“Some say it is real, some say it is political propaganda, but here they are today. That is to tell us that it is real, that the office is existing, and the programme is real,” she said.
Olusanya’s representative explained that the ministry initially had reservations about the engagement because its staff were not students.
However, the clarification that parents and guardians were important stakeholders in the scheme helped establish its relevance to the workforce.
She noted that civil servants could benefit from the information by guiding their children and wards through the application process and ensuring they accessed available financial assistance.
She urged the ministry’s staff to become advocates of NELFUND by sharing accurate information about the scheme with their families and communities.
