The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced plans to exclude students studying language-related courses from accessing education loans.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this over the weekend during a virtual conference titled, “Student Loan Masterclass: Why, What, and How?”, organized by The Renewed Hope Global.
Sawyerr stated that priority would be given to courses such as engineering, medicine, and other practical disciplines that significantly contribute to Nigeria’s technological development.
While emphasizing that his comments were not intended to disrespect anyone’s choice of study, he remarked, “Language courses are less important to our national development than perhaps engineering or medical courses because they are more practical.”
He further explained that a developing country like Nigeria needs to prioritize financial support for skill-oriented courses to educate individuals capable of contributing to national progress.
According to Sawyerr, funding should focus on disciplines aligned with Nigeria’s developmental needs rather than supporting courses that offer limited job opportunities, potentially hindering loan repayment.
Sawyerr acknowledged that NELFUND is cautious about discriminating against students at this stage, especially since some applicants in their third or fourth year of study might face challenges that could lead them to drop out.
He emphasized the need for Nigeria’s higher education system to align more closely with global technological advancements, adding, “That is not to say we will not fund courses where people acquire exportable skills. For example, students could study in Nigeria and gain expertise they can use internationally, thereby remitting funds back to Nigeria.”
Sawyerr also revealed that 335,000 students across 127 tertiary institutions in Nigeria have so far benefited from the loan initiative.
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