NELFund opens student loan application portal on May 24

The management of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that the student loan application portal will be officially opened for all interested Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions to apply from Friday, May 24, 2024.

Nasir Ayitogo, the media and public relations lead at NELFund made this known in a statement on the official X handle of the education agency @NELFUND recently.

“Please kindly note that the portal will officially be up and running on Friday, May 24, 2024. Applicants can only access this site from the date as mentioned earlier.”

Through the portal, students can now access loans to pursue their academic aspirations without financial constraints.

The portal provides a user-friendly interface for students to submit their loan applications conveniently.

“We encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in their future and contribute to the growth and development of our nation. Students can access the portal on http://nelf.gov.ng to begin application,” the statement adds.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) with Akintunde Sawyerr as the managing director marks a significant milestone in the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fostering accessible and inclusive education for all Nigerian students.

However, some Nigerians still expressed confusion over the categories of students covered by the loan and the payment conditions.

Oluwole Ojabowale responding to the NELFund statement demanded to know if the loan covers students in Colleges of Nursing.

Ojabowale on his official X handle @woleoja asked; “Will it be open to colleges of nursing students?”

Ciroma on his X handle @thisisChiwar asked; “Will it be open to PG students?”

While Real-Oj @REAL_OJS requested to know the conditions attached to paying back. “What are the conditions attached to paying back this loan.”

However, Sawyerr, the managing director of NELFund had earlier explained that the student loan would cover 100 per cent of the institutional fees of applicants.

“In terms of the amount available, it will be 100 percent of whatever course of their study is; this is for public tertiary institutions, and the objective is to be able to cover the cost of their institutional fees in total,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday, April 26, 2024, appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of NELFund.

Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesperson to the President on media and publicity made this known to the press in a statement.

 ‘‘The President believes Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds and of ensuring that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century,’’ he said.