From Abdul Salaudeen, Ilorin
Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said the student loan policy of the federal government will boost the hope of children of low-income earners to access quality higher education.
The governor spoke in Ilorin during a sensitisation programme for students of tertiary institutions in the state, organised by the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, in partnership with the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Policy Formulation & Human Capital Development, Dr Adetola Salau.
AbdulRazaq commended President Bola Tinubu for the initiative which he noted will help youths acquire tertiary education.
The governor said his administration is partnering NELFUND to ensure that students benefit from the scheme.
“There is a lot to be grateful to the federal government for creating an avenue like this. Like I said earlier, the major challenge facing youths to gain access to quality education is lack of funding. So, providing this kind of opportunity is huge and this is not just about money, but empowerment,” the governor said.
Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sanya, who spoke through the Executive Director of Operations, Mustapha lyal, said they had so far received over 400,000 applications across institutions since the launch of their operation, out of which 70 percent had been cleared.
He said thousands of students from Kwara State had benefited from the scheme with about N900 million disbursed to the combined public institutions in the state.
The NELFUND boss explained that after a successful application, the agency pays the school fees of the beneficiaries into their institution’s account, while their annual upkeep of N20,000 is paid into their individual account.
In his remarks, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole said the initiative will bring relief to parents and urged students to enroll en-masse and take advantage of the opportunity provided.
Egbewole, who was represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, Professor Adegboyega Fawale, hailed the federal government for the programme.
