Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a landmark initiative that is helping students from financially disadvantaged families gain access to higher education.
Shettima made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the management team of the University of Abuja, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi.
According to the Vice President, NELFUND has provided significant financial relief to students whose families may struggle to meet the cost of tertiary education.
He said the Federal Government had positioned the programme as an important social intervention aimed at reducing inequality, supporting education and helping to tackle poverty.
The scheme provides financial assistance covering tuition and other approved educational costs, while also providing monthly upkeep support for eligible students.
Shettima noted that the initiative is particularly important for students from less-privileged backgrounds who could otherwise find it difficult to remain in higher education because of financial challenges.
The Vice President said the programme is helping to create opportunities for young Nigerians and ensure that poverty does not become a permanent barrier to acquiring a university or other tertiary education.
Reflecting on his own experience as a student at the University of Maiduguri, Shettima recalled periods when rising food prices made life difficult for students. He described NELFUND as an initiative designed to provide much-needed breathing space for students from poor households.
He also commended the University of Abuja’s management for efforts to improve stability and address some of the challenges previously facing the institution.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, in turn, praised the Vice President for his support and described NELFUND as one of the initiatives contributing to greater stability within Nigeria’s education sector.
Fawehinmi said the availability of financial support has helped students remain in school and continue their studies despite economic pressures.
NELFUND was established by the Federal Government as part of efforts to expand access to higher education by providing financial assistance to eligible Nigerian students.
With the rising cost of education and living expenses, the student loan programme has become an important part of the government’s strategy to make tertiary education more accessible to Nigerians from different economic backgrounds.
Shettima’s latest comments reinforce the administration’s position that financial circumstances should not prevent qualified Nigerian students from pursuing higher education.
