NELFUND Expands Student Loan Scheme to Cover Vocational Training, Addresses Delay in Fee Payments for Freshers
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced a significant expansion of its student loan program to include vocational and skills acquisition centers, broadening access to technical and non formal education across the country. The rollout will begin in Enugu State, selected as one of the first beneficiaries due to its preparedness and strong institutional framework.
Speaking during a sensitisation exercise in Enugu, NELFUND’s Executive Director of Operations, Iyal Mustapha, revealed that applicants will soon be able to register through an online portal and select from accredited skill-training centres. These centres will include fashion design institutes, technical colleges and other specialized trade schools.
Mustapha explained that the loan will cover training fees, institutional levies related to transportation and logistics and upon completion, provide beneficiaries with essential working tools to support their transition into the labour market. She added that while upkeep allowances are still being finalised, funding for the training centres will be based on their individually submitted budgets.
In response to growing concerns about delayed fee payments for new students, NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr clarified that the fund cannot release institutional payments for freshers until their registration has been fully verified. This measure, he noted, is essential to safeguarding public resources and preventing system abuse. Sawyerr further stated that NELFUND is enhancing its automation processes and implementing stronger verification checks to maintain transparency and accountability.
Sawyerr also issued a firm warning to universities and polytechnics allegedly withholding information from students about loan disbursements. He criticised such institutions for failing to notify beneficiaries when their fees have been paid, calling the practice “a direct violation of the principles upon which NELFUND was established.”
In a recent directive, the fund ordered the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to refund students who paid their tuition out of pocket before their NELFUND loans were processed a step aimed at ensuring that no eligible student is unfairly burdened by institutional delays.
NELFUND’s expansion into vocational training underscores a broader national shift: recognizing that while not every Nigerian youth intends to pursue a university degree, many still seek pathways to meaningful skills, employment and economic empowerment. With this new initiative, that pathway is becoming clearer.
By Hamzat Omolade
