The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has launched a nationwide sensitisation campaign across 34 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as military, police and immigration barracks, to raise awareness of its student loan scheme.
The Director of SERVICOM at NELFUND, Olusola Fowobaje, disclosed this during a sensitisation programme tagged ‘Roadshow’ at the Ministry of Regional Development in Abuja.
Fowobaje said the initiative was designed to take information about the Fund’s educational financing opportunities directly to civil servants, parents and guardians.
He explained that the campaign would cover 34 ministries before extending to military formations, police and immigration barracks across the country.
According to him, the exercise would equip civil servants with adequate information about the scheme so they could guide their children and dependants who may need financial assistance to pursue higher education.
Fowobaje said the student loan scheme had two major components: institutional fees and upkeep allowances.
He explained that while the institutional loan covers approved school fees, eligible beneficiaries also receive a monthly upkeep allowance of N20,000.
He added that the roadshow was part of the management’s efforts to expand public awareness, address misconceptions about government-backed student loans and encourage eligible Nigerians to apply.
Describing the campaign as a door-to-door sensitisation exercise, Fowobaje said NELFUND had already deployed management staff across the country to educate Nigerians on the Fund’s mandate, objectives and benefits.
He said the initiative would also cover security formations outside the Federal Capital Territory, noting that the management was prepared to reach the targeted institutions.
Fowobaje further dismissed misconceptions about the scheme, clarifying that beneficiaries would not be prevented from travelling or arrested simply for accessing the loan.
He also said the application process was technology-driven, transparent and accessible, stressing that applicants did not need personal connections or special intervention to obtain the facility.
READ ALSO: Wike Takes Fresh Swipe at Peter Obi, Questions His Capacity to Lead Nigeria
The SERVICOM director said the campaign was intended to address financial barriers that prevent some students from completing their education and ensure that more Nigerians have access to higher education.
He added that expanding access to educational financing would strengthen human capital development, improve productivity and help tackle challenges associated with illiteracy and insecurity.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development, Mary Ada Ogbe, represented by the Acting Director of Community Development and Education, said the engagement was organised to provide ministry officials with detailed information about the student loan scheme.
She explained that the programme, organised in collaboration with NELFUND, was aimed at equipping directors and heads of units with the knowledge required to inform other members of staff about the initiative.
According to her, the engagement marked the first phase of a wider sensitisation exercise that would subsequently be extended to other employees of the ministry.
Ogbe urged participants to use the opportunity to seek clarification on issues relating to the scheme, while assuring NELFUND of the ministry’s readiness to support efforts to expand awareness and participation.
