By Opeyemi Quadri 
Five institutions based in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria have received a total of Three hundred and fifty-five million, five hundred and thirty-eight thousand, two hundred and twenty naira(N355,538,220) from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a few days after the eastern state alleged that they were marginalised from the student loan.
The first batch of beneficiaries from the region include Ebonyi State University (N78,313,000); Abia State University (N12,469,500); Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State (N368,400); Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State (N71,016,220); and Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State received N193,377,100 on behalf of their students.
The above institutions are contained in a new list of 40 additional institutions released by the agency, bringing the total number of the institutions to 59 with 46,665 students whose tuition fees have been paid.
In August, some lawmakers in the National Assembly alleged that the loan agency deliberately excluded institutions based in the region, which NELFUN boss Akintunde Sawyerr disputed, saying the affected institutions didn’t comply with the guidelines of the agency.
Before then, Sawyerr had stepped up sensitization across the country, calling on everybody irrespective of geopolitical zone to embrace the student loan.
Data which was later released showed that response from institutions in the Northern part of the country dominated the list of beneficiaries, which NELFUND attributed to the cooperation of the institutions.
At some point, some people added ethnic colouration to the argument. They posited that the loan should be distributed equally. But NELFUND says “people can’t be forced to take a loan”.
Subsequently, one of the institutions in the region Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, attributed its inability to make the list of beneficiaries to technical glitches which prevented it from verifying applicants from the institution.
When an applicant showed interest in the loan, applying using their JAMB number, BVN, and other details, NELFUND sends the name of the applicant to their institution, which is expected to also verify and confirm that applicant is truly their student.
When an institution fails to do the verification, their applications with NELFUND will be on hold, delaying disbursement. The agency stated that this is what happened in the case of the Southeast-based institutions.
Meanwhile, NELFUND boss and his team has continued their engagement and sensitization with institutions across the country. On September 6, 2024, Mr. Sawyerr led his team to Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
Earlier, he had visited Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, where he urged students in the region to apply.
The host institutions commended NELFUND’s dedication to education and assured their cooperation in facilitating a smooth disbursement process.
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Editorial Staff