*As 90,000 out of 300, 000 applicants benefit
From Romanus Uzor
The Senate Deputy Chief Whip, who is also representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi has tasked the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr Akintunde Sawyer to ensure transparency and equitable disbursement of the students loan fund across the six geopolitical zones in the country.
He lauded President Tinubu for this rare opportunity given to every Nigerian child to access tertiary education despite his or her poor background.
He, however advocated for transparency in the entire process adding that the number of students that have applied for the scheme as well as the actual number of students who have benefited across the six geopolitical zones should be published to ensure transparency and equity. In his words:
“I want to know as at today the number of students that have benefited from the program vis-à-vis equitable spread of this across the six geopolitical zones.”
Responding, the Managing Director of Nelfund, Mr Akintunde Sawyer revealed that 90,000 students have so far benefited from the students loan fund out of the over 300,000 students that are deemed to have qualified for it adding that it’s equitably spread across the six geopolitical zones. According to him:
“12% of students from the North Central have so far benefited from the facility. The North-east, 26 per cent have benefited; the North-west, 38 per cent; South-east, about 10 per cent; South-south, about 4 per cent and the South-west, 13 per cent.”
This he said was at the last count as more students are currently benefitting across the zones. He noted that over N11b has been disbursed so far out of the N96b earmarked for the scheme with a flexible repayment plan of two years after NYSC. If the person is employed, it will be repaid by his employer through salary deductions.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and Tetfund- Distinguished Senator Muntari Dandutse explained that they were at the NELFund’s office in Abuja to ascertain its progress so far and the challenges encountered in the past six months noting that the Nelfund is a laudable initiative of President Tinubu to ensure that no Nigerian child drops out of school due to lack of funds. He submitted that liaison offices should be created across the six geopolitical zones to coordinate the activities of Nelfund in order to ensure equity and transparency in the entire process.
Romanus Uzor Ozioko is the
Special Assistant to the Senate Deputy Chief Whip on Media and Publicity.
