When the current Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, was appointed by the President to lead the organization, those familiar with Nigeria’s agricultural export chain had no doubts about his ability to deliver.
However, in Nigeria, ability alone isn’t enough. The country has seen many appointed to public office for their integrity, only for them to falter once in power.
The MD of NELFUND, being the pioneer head, has the task of setting a new standard in leadership for the education loan agency, that involves handling and managing billions of naira.
As someone who has closely observed public officials since 1999, I must say this is the first time I’ve seen a federal-level public official display such commitment and dedication to public service.
The last time Nigeria witnessed this level of dedication was when Mr. Afolabi Imoukhuede coordinated N-Power, part of the now-defunct youth empowerment arm of the Social Investment Programme (SIP) under the former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
What makes Sawyerr and Imoukhuede stand out is their shared focus on youth-centered initiatives. While N-Power targeted unemployed graduates and out-of-school youths seeking skills, NELFUND aims to support undergraduates in government-owned institutions. Both programs offer monthly stipends to help beneficiaries with their upkeep.
Similar to Imoukhuede, who traveled across the country addressing burning questions about N-Power, Akintunde has been visiting institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Some of the institutions he has interacted with students and management include Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State; Tarkaa University of Agriculture, Markudi; University of Ibadan; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; University of Port Harcourt, and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurum, Warri among others.
His mission: to explain the Nigeria Student Loan initiative and inspire the many young undergraduates who desperately need financial support to gain academic freedom and fulfill their dreams.
Despite security challenges in many parts of the country, Akintunde has persisted, traveling from one institution to another, including travelling on the Nigeria’s dangerous and porous waterways, to sensitize students on the interest-free loan initiative of the Bola Tinubu administration. One might have expected him to delegate this role to his junior staff, but his physical presence has rekindled hope among undergraduates.
His presence is crucial in dispelling the rumors and calumny spread by pessimists who refuse to see the merits of this brilliant initiative.
Before the nationwide sensitization campaign, there were allegations that institutions in the South East colluded not to verify the data of their students interested in the fund.
When the first batch of disbursements was announced without any institutions from the Southeast included, some claimed the region had been deliberately marginalized.
It was later revealed that the affected institutions’ ICT units had failed to verify and forward their students’ data to NELFUND. How these glitches occurred simultaneously remains a mystery.
The way Akintunde handled this potentially tense situation, which could have deepened the existing distrust between the federal government and the Southeast region, is commendable.
Today, some of those institutions – Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Abakaliki; Federal Polytechnic Nekede; Ebonyi State University; Abia State University, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike – have acknowledged receiving institutional loans on behalf of their students.
When critics launched another campaign, claiming that the government intended to trap undergraduates in debt, Akintunde and his communications team swiftly intervened to diffuse the tension and dispel the misinformation.
He clarified that the student loan is interest-free, highlighting the procedures involved in the application process, and that repayment begins two years after the beneficiaries complete the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Additionally, beneficiaries without a source of income after this grace period can apply for an extension, and the government may even offer loan forgiveness.
We hope Akintunde continues on this path of genuine hard work and dedication to public service.
He must remain vigilant, ensuring that only deserving beneficiaries receive the monthly upkeep allowance and that no one within the Fund compromises the program.
He should remember that while N-Power began well, it ended in disgrace due to alleged financial mismanagement, with officials reportedly embezzling the allowances meant for some beneficiaries. To this day, the N-Power devices promised to the second batch of beneficiaries have not been distributed.
Starting well is honorable, but ending well is even more so.
Akintunde must be mindful that bad news spreads faster than good news. Now is his chance to etch his name into the annals of history, just as he did during his tenure with international organizations.
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