By Anita John 
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has said that the Enugu State government has shown interest in partnering with the loan agency in the area of vocational training.
He stated this during an awareness and sensitization campaign on education loans in Enugu State, while answering questions from journalists to shed more light on his activities in the Coal City State.
Sawyerr said the state governor, Peter Mbah, has demonstrated the political will to work with NELFUND on vocational training and to ensure that undergraduate students in the state benefit from the loan scheme.
“His Excellency indicated that he was extremely keen to ensure that as many people in Enugu State benefit from this loan scheme,” he said.
According to him, when the leader of a state shows such enthusiasm and preparedness to partner with a federal government scheme, “it really demonstrates that we have the maximum opportunity for success.”
He noted that vocational training and skills acquisition are other major areas the education loan agency intends to tackle.
Sawyerr emphasized the importance of collaboration between the federal and state governments, saying such partnerships will enhance the success of federal programmes at the state level.
“When you match the political will of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with that of the state governor, it becomes imperative that we capitalize on it and make sure it works for the people of Enugu State and other states ready to collaborate,” he added.
Performance of Enugu State in terms of education loan application
Sawyerr said there was initial hesitation among students from the Southeast to apply for the loan due to misinformation on the internet. This, he said, prompted him and his team to visit the region more frequently than any other part of the country.
“The reason we’re doing that is to allay the fears and apprehensions people have towards taking loans or federal government schemes,” he explained.
He added that President Tinubu’s determination is for every part of the country to have access to the funds, saying, “It will eliminate poverty and restore dignity to those who want to educate themselves, fend for themselves, and develop their careers.”
Sawyerr assured that he would continue visiting the Southeast “until we get the people here okay.”
No discrimination against any region in NELFUND
The NELFUND boss again dismissed insinuations that the loan is easier to access for students in other regions than in the Southeast, describing such claims as “utter rubbish.”
“NELFUND is a totally democratized, equal-opportunity loan. There’s no systemic discrimination against anybody,” he stated.
As of October 9, 2025, NELFUND had disbursed ₦65.3 billion as institutional loans (school fees) and ₦51.1 billion as upkeep loans, totaling ₦116.4 billion, to 624,535 beneficiaries across government institutions nationwide.
Summary
- Enugu State to partner with NELFUND to promote vocational training and expand access to education loans.
- NELFUND addresses misinformation in the Southeast, pledging continued sensitization to boost loan applications.
- Over ₦116 billion disbursed nationwide to more than 624,000 students under the education loan scheme during the 2024/2025 session.
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Editorial Staff 
Opeyemi Quadri