Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a landmark initiative that is helping remove financial barriers to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Shettima said the student-loan programme had provided important financial relief to young Nigerians who might otherwise struggle to fund tertiary education.
The Vice President’s comments come as the Federal Government continues to expand the student financing scheme introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
NELFUND was established to provide financial support to eligible students pursuing higher education, with the government positioning the programme as a major intervention in improving access to tertiary education.
The initiative has attracted significant attention as rising living costs and the increasing expense of higher education continue to place pressure on Nigerian families.
Beyond tuition-related support, the government has also been exploring ways of connecting student funding with skills and areas of demand within the Nigerian labour market.
NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr previously said the organisation was studying courses being funded and the employment prospects available to graduates, with the aim of ensuring that public investment in education produces skills required by the economy.
The Federal Government has presented the programme as part of its broader strategy to make higher education more accessible while developing Nigeria’s human capital.