The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to partnering the Ogun State Government to intensify sensitization on the federal government’s students’ loan scheme.
Sawyerr stated this while speaking with newsmen after a courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a national initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at ensuring all Nigerians have access to financial support to advance their educational pursuits.
Commending Ogun State for its laudable educational programmes, he noted that NELFUND recognises the governor’s proactive efforts in promoting the scheme and encouraging widespread enrolment.
“Part of this meeting is to appreciate the governor for what he is doing. Going forward, we have agreed to deepen our collaboration and support for the state because it has the highest number of educational institutions in the country,” he said.
“This state, more than any other, really needs sensitization. There are numerous secondary and tertiary institutions here, and that is why we are focusing on Ogun,” he said.
Sawyerr disclosed that NELFUND secured the firm commitment of the state government, including assurances from the governor on additional incentives to encourage Ogun students to embrace the loan scheme.
Speaking on ongoing sensitization efforts, he explained that although the Fund had embarked on aggressive public enlightenment since its launch last year, the sheer size of the nation’s population makes continuous engagement necessary.
He noted that with a population of about 238 million, a significant number of Nigerians remain unaware of the programme, partly due to long-standing public mistrust of government initiatives.
“In a few months of our existence, we have received over 1.2 million applications, and that is not a small number for an 18-month-old scheme.
“Everything takes time to trickle down. There has been mistrust in government for decades, so some people dismiss the initiative outright. But each time we pay beneficiaries, our application numbers double or triple,” he said.
He added that reaching every corner of the country requires time and substantial resources, which explains why some communities are yet to be fully sensitized.
Sawyerr urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to take advantage of the loan scheme to enhance their educational progress.
He also appealed to those already aware of NELFUND’s offerings to share the information with neighbours, friends, colleagues and relatives to help the scheme achieve its purpose.
