Student Loan Scheme: Southeast Lawmakers Speak on Alleged Exclusion of Region, NELFUND Clarifies
- Southeast caucus decried the exclusion of the region's institution from the ongoing student loan disbursement
- NELFUND, in charge of the disbursement, provided reasons for the lawmakers, specifying where problems abound
- The lawmakers received the clarification from NELFUND and sent a statement in that regard to institutions in the region as well as to the students
The southeast caucus in the Nigerian National Assembly has expressed concern over continuous exclusion from the disbursement of student loans to tertiary institutions in the region.
The loan is administered by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund board, NELFUND, to which the complaint was directed.
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The lawmakers disclosed that even after N2.95bn was disbursed to 27,667 students across 19 institutions nationwide, Southeast universities or colleges were missing considerably from the list.
NELFUND clarifies student loan scheme
Legit.ng learnt that NELFUND clarified this observation from the lawmakers, stating that Southeast institutions had not responded to its request to verify student lists, a necessary step before disbursements.
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Southeast institutions had not met the compliance of this verification even after letters were sent, NELFUND clarified.
In response to this explanation, the Southeast caucus came up with a statement on August 25 on the issue.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Igariwey Enwo signed the statement. In it, they tasked the tertiary institutions affected to comply with NELFUND’s directive.
The statement reads:
“We also wish to encourage all South East students who need this support to ensure they apply.
“This is important as it can help ameliorate some of the challenges limiting access to higher education, which we must all agree is critical to self-development and growth.
“It is important that as a people, we do not intentionally marginalise ourselves from opportunities that are open to all Nigerians.
“Those opportunities are our right and we must, like others, demand for what rightfully belongs to us.”
The caucus also urged students from the region to apply for the loan.
NELFUND addresses concerns about delays
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Akintunde Sawyerr, the managing director (MD) of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has acknowledged the challenges of delays in the disbursement of the student loan scheme.
Legit.ng reports that the NELFUND boss spoke during a student loan sensitisation programme organised by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Thursday, August 22.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng
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Source: Legit.ng
