By Kelvin Ololo
The Managing Director of Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has said poverty is one of the major threats to quality education in Cross River State and Nigeria’s public schools.
Akintunde Sawyerr, stated this in a sensitization workshop and interactive session with students of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) at the university new auditorium, Calabar main campus where he said the biggest issues that face education in Nigeria is the lack of opportunity with young people who possess all it takes to be the best in the world.
“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria His Excellency Bola Amed Tinubu has decided that he is going to break that jinx of lack of access to education here in UNICROSS and we are here to implement his vision. So ensure that you take advantage of the window that has been given to you from the president,” he said while speaking on the student loan.
He explained that student can apply for NELFUND loan and complete their education without stress. “NELFUND loan is accessible, interest free, its payment is made two years after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), with ten percent payment by individual’s employers after service year and pardonable when the individual dies.”
The MD appealed that students can access the loan by taking advantage of the opportunity with just their matriculation number, JAMB number and National Identification number (NIN) as the objective of NELFUND is to give Nigeria students in public institutions access to education.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of UNICROSS, Prof. Francisca Bassey represented by the varsity Director of Administration and member of the University Governing Council, Prof. Thomas Ojikpong, reiterated that the state-owned university has benefited immersively from NELFUND loan scheme.
She explained that with the scheme, students who were at the verge of dropping out from school due to financial hardship have been able to enroll and continue to pursue their academic dreams.
Giving a statistical breakdown, Ojikpong mentioned that UNICROSS has gotten three tranches of students loan respectively from the NELFUND scheme. “The first trance was 53 million Naira with 679 beneficiaries, followed by N45 million with 537 beneficiaries and N32.9 million with 425 beneficiaries and the loans had been appropriately applied.”
He added that the institution will continue to collaborate with the scheme to ensure students don’t miss out on the opportunity offered by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
President of Students Union Government (SUG) of the school Emmanuel Lazarus lauded the support offered to students to benefit from the scheme and assured that those yet to enroll will do so.
The symposium was attended by top members of the school management board, Deans of faculties, Head of Department, lecturers, members of the student union and students from various faculties and departments.
Highlight of the exercise was question and answer session by students concerning the scheme, eligibility, procedures of application and other issues.
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