Northern Students Lead in Loan Applications Compared to Students in Southern Institutions, NELFUND Claims
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund revealed that a higher number of students from the North have applied for loans compared to students from institutions in the South. Sawyerr affirmed NELFUND’s efforts to raise awareness in the South and encourage students to embrace the loan scheme once disbursements commence.
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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund(NELFUND) revealed that a higher number of students from the North have applied for loans compared to students from institutions in the South.
Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, the Managing Director of the fund, disclosed this during a briefing with State House correspondents following the launch of loan disbursement by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
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Dr. Sawyerr attributed the higher application rates in the North to better coordination by tertiary institutions in that region.
“In the southern part of the country,” Dr. Sawyerr stated, “there’s growing awareness and interest. However, there’s also been a lot of skepticism. The most skeptical parts of the country are in the South, where students question everything: Is it true? Is it real? Is it a scam?”
To address this skepticism, NELFUND emphasized that the program is not a mere illusion. “What you witnessed today with us actually starting this disbursement program is to say that ‘this is not NO FUND. This is NELFUND,’” Dr. Sawyerr clarified.
Sawyerr further explained, “The zones with the highest [applications], I can say to you that institutions in the North of the country have been very proactive at supporting and helping their students and providing their data to us. So, that’s where the leaning is currently. But that [high adoption in the North] is to be expected because they seem very well organized in terms of networking in the northern part of the country.”
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Addressing concerns about initial skepticism in the South, Sawyerr expressed confidence that as more loans are disbursed, skepticism will diminish. “So, I think we’ll see the skepticism that you can find mainly in the southern part begin to disappear when we start paying out,” he added.
Sawyerr affirmed NELFUND’s efforts to raise awareness in the South and encourage students to embrace the loan scheme once disbursements commence. He also highlighted that more university students applied for loans compared to students from polytechnics and colleges of education.
“We’re trying to ensure that people know this is not a trick, it’s not a game. Mr. President has backed this with cash and we’re going to disburse that cash,” Sawyerr emphasized, reinforcing the commitment of NELFUND to support students across Nigeria in pursuit of their educational goals.
