Deputy Speaker Kalu Promises Inclusion of Southeast Students in Federal Loan Scheme
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu has assured that Southeast students will soon be included in the Federal Government’s student loan scheme. The delay was due to low application rates and incomplete forms. Kalu is working with NELFUN, regional governors, and National Assembly members to address the issue and boost participation. Awareness efforts, including multilingual jingles, are also being implemented.
Faith Orji 
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has assured that students from the Southeast geopolitical zone will soon be included in the Federal Government’s student loan program.
This follows protests from the South East Caucus in the National Assembly over the region’s exclusion from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUN) beneficiaries list. Kalu stated that his office is actively addressing the issue with NELFUN authorities, emphasizing that recent low application rates and incomplete forms have affected the Southeast’s representation.
In his statement, Kalu noted that poor registration and missing JAMB results have been identified as key issues. Efforts are underway to resolve these problems, and regional governors and National Assembly members are working to boost student participation.
Statistics reveal low application numbers across various institutions in the Southeast. For example, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has 2,543 students but none have applied for the loan. Similarly, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, with 21,342 students, has seen only 406 applications. Other institutions in Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, and Anambra States also show low application rates.
To address this, Kalu has urged institutions to promote the loan program and set up registration points. Additionally, jingles in English, Igbo, and Pidgin will be broadcast to increase awareness and participation.
Kalu reassured students and the public that efforts are being made to resolve the situation and urged patience as these measures take effect.
