President Bola Tinubu has held a closed-door meeting with the Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Jim Ovia, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, amid the Federal Government’s efforts to expand access to tertiary education through its student loan programme.
The meeting took place on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, although the Presidency has not publicly disclosed the specific issues discussed during the engagement.
Ovia, founder of Zenith Bank and a prominent figure in Nigeria’s financial services sector, chairs the governing board of NELFUND, the federal agency responsible for facilitating access to education financing for eligible students in public tertiary institutions.
The meeting comes as the government continues to implement its student loan initiative, which is designed to ease financial barriers preventing students from pursuing higher education.
Through NELFUND, eligible students can access loans to cover institutional fees and approved living expenses, subject to the programme’s terms and conditions. The scheme is intended to provide financial support to students who might otherwise struggle to meet the cost of tertiary education.
However, the absence of an official account of the discussions means it remains unclear whether the meeting focused on the programme’s implementation, funding, repayment arrangements or other aspects of the agency’s operations.
The engagement nevertheless places renewed attention on the administration’s education financing agenda and the role of NELFUND in supporting students across the country.
As the scheme develops, its effectiveness will depend on transparent administration, efficient disbursement, public awareness and the ability to ensure that assistance reaches eligible students who genuinely need it.
Further details of the meeting had not been made public at the time of reporting.