FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
In a bid to make tertiary education accessible and affordable to its citizens, Edo State government has entered into partnership with Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, to extend its services to students in state owned tertiary institutions.
This partnership, which will guarantee all Edo students access to tertiary education without paying school fees immediately, will also give them access to a monthly stipend meant to offset their expenses, while schooling.
Organising a two-day sensitisation programme for undergraduates across the three senatorial districts, Commissioner for Education, Dr Pally Iyamu called on students to take advantage of this great initiative by the state government.
Stressing the state government’s resolve to lessen the financial burden and obligations on parents, Dr Iyamu said the partnership will serve as a big relief to parents, who before now, have to cough out hundreds of thousands of naira for their children’s school fees.
Iyamu appreciated the creating of a roadmap where all students can thrive, irrespective of their background
“This partnership is expected to help checkmate incidents of students dropout and other hindrances in attaining higher degrees due to financial restraint,” he stated.
The two days sensitisation programme is scheduled to hold from March 11 to 12 across the three senatorial districts.
Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, will be used for Edo South on March 11, while AAU Student Conference Centre, Ekpoma and Edo University, Iyanmo, will serve as the venue for the programme in Edo Central and Edo North Respectively on March 12.
NELFUND, an education loan scheme initiative of President Bola Tinubu’s administration opened its portal to students of federal tertiary institutions in May 2024.
It provides interest-free loans to eligible Nigerians for higher education, vocational training and skills acquisition. Students under the scheme also get N20,000 monthly stipend.
Repayment is expected to start two years after completion of national service.
