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Lawmakers from the South East are up in arms over the conspicuous exclusion of their constituents from the student loan program administered by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
This snub has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with many demanding answers about the criteria used to determine eligibility.
In a statement titled “Re-Non-inclusion of Beneficiaries from South East Tertiary Institutions in the Disbursement of Students’ Loans by NELFUND”, the leaders of the South East National Assembly Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Hon. Igariwey Iduma, have brought attention to the alarming absence of students from the region’s tertiary institutions from the list of beneficiaries of the federal government’s student loan program.
With a whopping N2,946,927,155 already disbursed to 27,667 students from 19 institutions, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has come under fire for its puzzling exclusion of South East-based higher institutions from the list of beneficiaries. This glaring omission has raised important questions about the fund’s allocation criteria.
The Caucus further said, “In its defence, NELFUND has stated that the absence of beneficiaries from South East institutions was because even though verification lists have been sent to all schools, South East institutions are yet to respond to their request for the verification of the lists sent to them.
Read also: NELFUND: No Zoning Bias In Student Loan Disbursement
“Consequently, the South East Caucus of the National Assembly, wishes to urge tertiary institutions in the South East to comply with the verification request by NELFUND, so that our children can benefit from this national programme.”
Continuing the group said, “We also wish to encourage all South East students who need this support to ensure they apply. This is important as it can help ameliorate some of the challenges limiting access to higher education, which we must all agree is critical to self-development and growth.
The leaders cautioned that it is imperative for the people to avoid intentionally disconnecting themselves from opportunities available to all citizens, noting that these opportunities are their legitimate entitlement and should be pursued with the same tenacity as others.
