NELFUND disburses N84.2bn to 351,317 students
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed N84.2billion to the applicants, comprising of N27.5billion and N56.7 billion in institutional and upkeep facilities respectively, as at September 2024.
The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, who disclosed this at the 36th annual conference of Federal Government College, Maiduguri Old Students Association, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, said that 351,317 students have registered on the NELFUND portal, out of which 258,943 applied for either institutional or upkeep loan or both.
Isiaka spoke on Empowering The Next Generation: Education As a Catalyst For National Development (Student Loans Access To Higher Education Act 2024 in Perspective)
He noted that the Students Loan Access to Higher Education Act, 2024, aims to bridge the financial gap, ensuring that deserving students have access quality higher education.
On her part, a professor of crop production, Joy Odedina expressed displeasure over the removal of subjects like History from the nation's school curriculum, which she described as unhealthy to the education.
Also speaking in an interview with newsmen, the National President, Federal Government College, Maiduguri Old Students Association, Chris Abu, while lamenting the current state of education in the country, condemned the grossly inadequate human resources and the sorry state of infrastructure of the education facilities in the country.