The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the approval of student loan disbursements to five tertiary institutions in the South-East and 35 others across Nigeria. This marks the second phase of the disbursement process.
The institutions in the South-East receiving funding are Federal Polytechnic, Nekede in Imo State; Ebonyi State University; Abia State University; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; and Alex Ekwueme Federal University in Anambra State.
NELFUND disclosed that a total of N2.1 billion Naira was allocated to these 40 institutions, increasing the total number of beneficiary institutions to 59. This expansion is part of NELFUND’s effort to enhance access to quality education for Nigerian students, irrespective of their financial backgrounds.
The new disbursements follow a previous allocation of N1.17 billion Naira to cover institutional fees for 20,000 beneficiaries earlier this year.
This development comes after criticism from the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide regarding the exclusion of South-East institutions from the initial phase of the loan scheme. NELFUND’s latest move is seen as a significant step in addressing these concerns and furthering the goal of educational equity.
