By Ngozi Nwankwo
Nigerian Education Loan Fund,NELFUND, has said it has disbursed over N941million to about 7,000 students of University of Jos,UNIJOS.
This, it said, has made the university the third highest institution in the country that has received the facility.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, stated this on Tuesday in Jos at a technical session with critical stakeholders in Plateau State regarding the Federal Government’s Students’ Loan scheme.
The event was graced by the Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, members of the State Executive Council, heads of 13 federal and state tertiary institutions in the state, student union representatives among others.
Sawyerr urged tertiary institutions to promptly update their student information on the NELFUND portal.
He revealed that the agency will soon convene a meeting with the ICT Directors of beneficiary institutions to troubleshoot and resolve technical difficulties related to loan applications, to ensure a smoother process for all applicants.
“I’m delighted to tell you that the University of Jos is the third highest benefiting institution from NELFUND in this country. We have disbursed N941million to UNIJOS on behalf of over 6,990 students. So it’s not a scam. Seeing is believing,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Mutfwang said President Bola Tinubu’s gesture would not only democratise access to education but that disbursements would cause tangible improvements in economic activities in institutions of higher learning.
He said: “I have had opportunity to relate with Mr. President, and I see his concern for the underprivileged and this singular act has democratized access to education. And not only has it democratized access to education, it has boosted the economy of any community of students”.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos, Professor Tanko Ishaya confirmed that the university has received the student loan funds of N941million.
He encouraged students yet to apply to take advantage of this opportunity and submit their applications, stressing that it is not a scam.
According to Professor Tanko Ishaya, receiving the student loan funds in bulk has greatly facilitated the university’s management and operational processes, enabling the institution to allocate resources more efficiently.