Npower Payment To Commence On Or Before June 15th - Npower National Coordinator

According to Npower News on Npower payment, the National Coordinator of Npower have taken to Npower Facebook to inform beneficiaries of Npower that Npower payment will take place on or before June 15th otherwise there will be massive demonstrations in Abuja. This statement was made on the National Association of Npower beneficiaries Facebook handle see statement below.

"After my Exams, I'll be ready to come back to the street and keep fighting for you. Anything beyond June 15th without Payments we are definitely going to stage another massive protest in Abuja.

At this point, all I need is your prayer as I dip into my Medical board examinations deeply!!!" the Npower National Coordinator said.

https://www.facebook.com/100093105862796/posts/pfbid0UAHZjr6QpVPRXADhFortk78nugVbT2cgS8ikg77pjG68gFrTvE9Hq1vCa8TP2GZAl/?app=fbl

Thirty Five Thousand Students Registered For Student Loan In 7 Days - NELFUND

According to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) 35,000 students have registered for the Federal Government’s student loan 7 Days  after the student loan application portal was launched.

This is according to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr who said about sixty thousand students have applied on the student loan application portal.

“So far, we’ve had 60,000 plus registrations. In fact, it’s registration; registration is not applications for loans. We’ve had about 50% of that,” Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“So about 30,00 to 35,000 people have actually applied for loans. So, it’s about 50% of the registrations.”

While explaining why not all registered students on the student loan application portal have applied for the student loan, Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr said the situation is owing to issues from schools.

“There’s a reason for that disconnect,” Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr said. “So the registrations are people who have been able to access the site, go and set up an account because we allow you to set up an account, user name, and password.

“And then you’ve got a dashboard that stays with you until the end of the process. The next step is the application for the loan itself. There’s a little bit of a disconnect in that area because some of the institutions haven’t provided complete and accurate data.”

Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr assured NELFUND is working to rectify the problem and make the student loan application process seamless.

“The great thing is that we’ve captured 60,000 people for sure who want this loan,” Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr said. “We’re going to work through the teething problems they have and enable them to actually apply for the loan.”

The NELFUND Managing Director also threw more light on the timeline of the student loan application.

According to him, the student loan application portal will be open to the public all year round.

“We’ve got all year round [application]. We are starting this process and we want to make sure that we catch as many people who need this loan as possible. That’s what the president wants,” Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr said.

Source: https://www.channelstv.com/2024/05/31/35000-people-applied-for-student-loan-in-one-week-says-nelfund/

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Demands Transparency In Disbursement Of Student Loan

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded transparency in the disbursement of the student loan to students in tertiary institutions. NANS called on the Federal Government to select individuals of unquestionable integrity and competence to oversee the disbursement of the student loans. This, NANS said would not only ensure the success of the student loan, but also guarantee its sustainability. National President of NANS, Pedro Obi, made the call in a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Friday. NANS also called for an urgent action on the alleged deportation of Nigerian students from Teesside University in the UK for defaulting on their school fees. It insisted that the Federal Government must take immediate and decisive action to protect the rights and future of the students abroad.

While praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration for the student loan initiative, Pedro Obi urged the government to engage all relevant stakeholders in the execution of the student loan.

“To ensure the success and integrity of the student loan scheme, we urge the Federal Government to prioritise transparency and accountability in the disbursement of the loans and this must be done by engaging all relevant stakeholders.

“It is crucial that the government appoint individuals of unquestionable integrity and competence to oversee the disbursement of the student loans. These appointees should be drawn from diverse backgrounds, including academia, finance, and civil society, to ensure a balanced and fair administration.

“We also urge the government to put in place transparent and effective monitoring mechanisms to track the disbursement process and ensure that funds are allocated appropriately. This includes regular audits, public reporting, and feedback channels for students to report any issues or irregularities.

“The loan scheme should be designed to be inclusive and accessible to all eligible students, regardless of their socio-economic background. Criteria for loan eligibility and repayment terms should be clearly defined and communicated to avoid any ambiguity or discrimination,” Pedro Obi said.

Source: https://sunnewsonline.com/student-loan-nans-demands-transparency-in-disbursement/

Npower News Today On National Social Investment Programmes

According to Npower News, the Federal Government have restarted the temporarily suspended national social investment programmmes which includes Npower, Conditional Cash Transfer, Government Enterprise And Empowerment Program and the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme. The National Social Investment Programme aims to offer direct financial support to 75 million individuals in 50 million households to alleviate the hardship faced by citizens, particularly those in vulnerable groups.

During the ministerial sectoral briefing in Abuja to commemorate the first year of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, made this announcement.

On January 12, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu decided to temporarily halt all activities carried out by the National Social Investment Programme Agency for a period of six weeks. This action was taken in order to investigate suspected misconduct in the organization's management and operation of the national social investment programme.

Wale Edun said, “I am duty-bound to give you an overview of the strategy, policies, and implementation of Mr President’s reform programme. Immediately upon assuming office, Mr President launched macroeconomic reforms to restore stability to the Nigerian economy, including subsidy reforms and foreign exchange market reforms. These reforms caused a spike in costs for individuals and businesses, but Mr President is committed to counterbalancing the negative effects with interventions across the social spectrum.

“The government has restarted the social investment program, providing direct payments to 75 million Nigerians in 50 million households. Access to credit has been improved, with N1bn allocated to consumer credit and grants of 50,000 Naira being given to 1 million nano industries.”

Source: https://www.nairaland.com/7688963/n-power-batch-c1-c2-2023/190

Over 9,500,000 Student Loan Applicants Visit NELFUND

The Nigerian education loan fund (NELFUND) said it has recorded over 9,500,000 visits to its office from students in federal tertiary institutions, with respect to the student loan since the student loan application portal was launched last week Friday.

The Nigerian education loan fund (NELFUND) has also received over six thousand applications regarding the student loan.

While briefing the press at a post-application launch conference on Thursday, the Managing Director of The Nigerian education loan fund (NELFUND), Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, said over 90 per cent of federal tertiary institutions have submitted the data of their students with about five institutions remaining.

Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr also disclosed that in three weeks, the Nigerian education loan fund (NELFUND) would democratise the student loans following the outburst from students in state-owned tertiary institutions, thereby opening its student loan application portal for students in state institutions to apply for the student loan.

Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr urged the authorities of the state tertiary institutions to begin to submit the data of its students to ensure that the process is seamless.

On June 12, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023 into law to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

The move was in “fulfilment of one of his campaign promises to liberalise funding of education,” according to Presidential Strategy Team, Dele Alake.

The Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law, also established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to process all loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery.

Although the government initially announced that the student loan scheme would be launched in September, it suffered several delays leading to an indefinite postponement in early March.

The Presidency had linked the delay to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to expand the student loan scheme to include student loans for vocational skills.

After receiving a briefing from the NELFUND team led by the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the Nigerian education loan fund (NELFUND) to extend interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programmes.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu based his decision on the need for the student loan scheme to accommodate those who may not want to pursue a university education, noting that skill acquisition is as essential as obtaining undergraduate and graduate academic qualifications.

“This is not an exclusive programme. It is catering to all of our young people. Young Nigerians are gifted in different areas.

“This is not only for those who want to be doctors, lawyers, and accountants. It is also for those who aspire to use their skilled and trained hands to build our nation.

“In accordance with this, I have instructed NELFUND to explore all opportunities to inculcate skill-development programmes because not everybody wants to go through a full university education,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said.

Source: https://www.channelstv.com/2024/05/30/student-loan-applications-hit-6000-in-seven-days-says-nelfund/

Conditional Cash Transfer To Help 138,015 Vulnerable Households

No fewer than 138,015 vulnerable households in Nasarawa State are targeted to gain from the Conditional Cash Transfer programme of the Federal Government (FG).

Rhoda Agbawu, the Nasarawa State Programme Manager of The Conditional Cash Transfer Office, said this on Friday in Lafia at the opening of a three-day orientation training for desk officers from the thirteen Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Rhoda Agbawu said that the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, to be selected from the thirteen LGAs of the state, would receive ₦25,000 each for 3 months. Rhoda Agbawu said that the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme was a Scale-up of the National Social Safety Nets Project that began more than five years ago.

“The exercise was re-branded Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Programme to align with the policy agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“The rebranding came with a lot of improvement where the beneficiaries in the state were increased from 48,624 to 138,015 across all the LGAs as against just six LGAs in the past,” Agbawu added.

The programme manager for the Conditional Cash Transfer disclosed that the office had so far enrolled eighty thousand households out of the total number 138,015 beneficiaries before the process was suspended.

Rhoda Agbawu explained that the Conditional Cash Transfer programme was temporarily suspended to enable beneficiaries to open accounts and link their Bank Verification Numbers with their National Identity Numbers.

“The process for enrolment and payment to the beneficiaries is now digitised to ensure accountability and transparency,” Rhoda Agbawu said.

On the essence of the training, Rhoda Agbawu said that it was aimed at educating the desk officers on the new changes in the Conditional Cash Transfer programme for proper implementation.

In her goodwill message, Margaret Elayo, Commissioner for Special Duties, Humanitarian, Social Services and Non-Governmental Organisations, praised the desk officers and other staff for the success so far recorded in the implementation of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme.

Margaret Elayo,, represented by Hajiya Fatima Dauda, the Director of Administration in the ministry, said that Nasarawa State was rated high in the implementation of the National Social Safety Nets Project. Margaret Elayo attributed the feat to the commitment and dedication of the implementing team and urged them to sustain the tempo.

Mohammed Dabo and Ruth Dachi, Desk Officers of Lafia and Akwanga LGAs respectively told newsmen that the training would expose them to the new changes in the conditional cash transfer programme. They ensured effective monitoring of the beneficiaries to ensure that the monies were used to add value to the lives of their families.

Source: https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/fgs-renewed-hope-cash-transfer-to-aid-138015-vulnerable-nasarawa-residents/xgml6h7

Three Hundred And Thirty Six State Institutions Listed As Sixty Thousand Apply For Student Loan

The Federal Government has extended the student loan to state tertiary institutions across the federation.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, who revealed this in Abuja, on Thursday, said that the students in the state institutions could apply for the student loan when the second phase of the student loan application starts on June 25.

Information gathered from the students' loan portal indicate no fewer than three hundred and thirty six state tertiary institutions in the country consisting of universities, colleges of education and technical colleges will gain from the student loan.

Statistics obtained from the National Universities Commission website indicate that there are sixty three state universities.

The National Board for Technical Education on its website listed fifty four state polytechnics, fifty seven state monothenics and one hundred and eleven state technical colleges.

The National Commission for Colleges of Education’s website shows that there are fifty one state colleges of education in the country.

Also, no fewer than sixty thousand federal instiutions have applied on the student loan application portal so far.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) kicked off its student loan application portal in the first phase of the application exercise which started on May 24.

The first phase accepted student loan applications from federal tertiary institutions.

About 1,200,000 students in two hundred and twenty six federal universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and technical colleges were expected to benefit from the first phase of the student loan.

Information gotten from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other agencies indicated that the nation has two hundred and twenty six federal tertiary institutions comprising sixty two universities, forty one polytechnics, ninety six monotechnics and twenty seven colleges of education.

Giving the latest update on the student loan at a press conference on Thursday, Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, revealed that the Fund would start receiving student loan applications from state universities on the 25th of June.

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, requested all state institutions to submit their students’ information immediately in order to facilitate a smooth and seamless student loan application process.

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, added that the component for skill acquisition loans would be launched in six months.

The NELFUND boss said, “Beyond financial assistance, NELFUND recognises the profound importance of equipping our youth with practical, market-relevant skills.

“Six months from today, we will launch a comprehensive skills acquisition programme, providing training in various vocational and technical fields.

“This programme is designed to prepare students to meet the demands of the modern job market, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation among our young people.”

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, said over sixty thousand student loan applications had been received by the agency since application for the first phase began last Friday.

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, said the student loan application did not necessarily translate to completed student loan applications, adding that only thirty thousand had successfully registered for the student loan.

”Sixty thousand are those who have registered on the platform. About 30,000 have successfully applied for the loan but that does not mean the 30,000 have been approved. Up until this point, nobody has been given the loan. Now is the time for evaluation.

“The overwhelming response serves as a testament to the critical need for financial assistance among our student population, and we remain committed to addressing this urgent demand,” the NELFUND executive secretary assured.

He disclosed that over 90 per cent of federal tertiary institutions had submitted their students’ information to NELFUND, adding that only two federal universities and five federal polytechnics have yet to do so.

“We urge the remaining two federal universities and five federal polytechnics to expedite the process to ensure that all eligible students can access our financial support,” he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, into law on June 12, 2023, to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

The executive bill titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to repeal the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2023 and Enact the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Bill, 2004 to Establish the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a body corporate to receive, manage and invest funds to provide loans to Nigerians for higher education, vocational training and skills acquisition and related matters,’ was signed in the presence of the leadership of the National Assembly, ministers and major stakeholders of education.

The Act empowers the Nigeria Education Loan Fund to provide loans to qualified Nigerian students for tuition, fees, charges and upkeep during their studies in approved public tertiary institutions and vocational and skills acquisition establishments in the country.

The new law which repealed the Student Loan Act, 2023, removed the family income threshold so students can apply for loans and accept responsibility for repayment, according to the Fund’s guidelines.

After signing the bill, Tinubu said no Nigerian, regardless of background, would be excluded from obtaining quality education.

“This is to ensure that no one, no matter how poor their background is, is excluded from quality education and opportunity to build their future,” said the President at the State House, Abuja.

Although the government initially announced that the student loan would be launched in September, it suffered several delays leading to an indefinite postponement.

The Presidency had linked the delay to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to expand the student loan to include loans for vocational skills.

Last Thursday, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund announced May 24 as the official date for the opening of the portal for student loan applications.

Although the government initially announced that the student would be launched in September, it suffered several delays leading to an indefinite postponement.

After receiving a briefing from the NELFUND team led by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, the President directed the Fund to extend interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programmes.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu based his decision on the need for the student loan to accommodate those who may not want to pursue a university education, noting that skill acquisition is as essential as obtaining undergraduate and graduate academic qualifications.

Addressing journalists ahead of the opening of the portal last week, Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, said about 1,200,000 in federal institutions would participate in the first phase of the student loan.

“There are approximately 1.2 m students in federal tertiary institutions owned by the government.

“Today, by inference, 1.2m students maximum at the federal level (will benefit), but there might be an opportunity to increase the capacity in terms of more institutions, and when we begin to bring in state-owned institutions, then the numbers can go up,’’ Dr Akintunde Sawyerr said.

One of the key features of the student loan, Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, emphasized, is the absence of physical contact between the student loan applicant and NELFUND.

According to Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, the student loan application portal provides a user-friendly interface for students to submit their student loan applications easily.

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, said that only students whose institutions had uploaded their information on the Fund’s dashboard would be eligible to apply for the student loan.

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, called on students in federal tertiary institutions to visit the website, www.nelf.gov.ng and apply for the student loan.

Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, said the student loan application requirements include the admission letter from the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, National Identity Number, and Bank Verification Number as well as completed student loan application forms from the student loan application portal.

“The loan application process has been streamlined to ensure easy access for all eligible students in federal tertiary institutions. Applicants can access online support to assist with any questions or concerns during the application process.

“We believe that education is a vital investment for the future. We envisage that the student loan initiative of Mr. President is a testament to this commitment,” Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, said.

https://punchng.com/student-loan-336-state-institutions-listed-as-60000-register/

Npower News Today Friday 31st May 2024

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Tuesday 28th May, said it had reinstated the suspended national social investment programme, revealing the national social investment programme which includes Npower would provide direct payments to 75,000,000 Nigerians in 50,000,000 households to reduce the suffering of citizens, especially vulnerable groups.

The federal government stated that the cash transfer program was overhauled to combat fraud. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced this at the ministerial sectoral briefing to mark the first year in office of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration in Abuja.

On 12th January, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended all the National Social Investment Programmes which includes Npower for six weeks, as part of an investigation of alleged misappropriation of public funds in Npower, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation at large.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also suspended Betta Edu as the minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation on January 8. Betta Edu’s ministry which is the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation oversees the operations of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA).

The National Social Investment Programmes affected include Npower, the conditional cash transfer, the government enterprise and empowerment programme, and the national home-grown school feeding program.

On March 13, the House of Representatives told the federal government to lift the suspension of the National Social Investment Programmes.

To resuscitate the National Social Investment Programmes which includes Npower, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of a Special Presidential Panel, led by Wale Edun to carry out an extensive review and audit of the existing financial frameworks and policy guidelines of the national social investment programs.

Giving an update on the steps taken by the committee at the briefing, the finance minister Wale Edu stated that the government had decided to reactivate the national social investment program to provide help to poor Nigerians.

Wale Edun said, “I am duty-bound to give you an overview of the strategy, policies, and implementation of Mr President’s reform program. Immediately upon assuming office, Mr President launched macroeconomic reforms to restore stability to the Nigerian economy, including subsidy reforms and foreign exchange market reforms. These reforms caused a spike in costs for individuals and businesses, but Mr President is committed to counterbalancing the negative effects with interventions across the social spectrum.

“The government has restarted the social investment program, providing direct payments to 75 million Nigerians in 50 million households. Access to credit has been improved, with N1bn allocated to consumer credit and grants of 50,000 Naira being given to 1 million nano industries.”

Speaking further, Wale Edun said that the federal government had initiated direct payments to Npower staffs, contractors, suppliers, and vendors engaged by the government, evidently aiming to tackle corruption in business dealings.

Wale Edun disclosed that this measure would guarantee the prudent and accountable expenditure of the nation’s wealth.

Wale Edun also disclosed that the federal government was set to roll out an Economic Emergency Plan that would be implemented in the next six months. The emergency economic plan, Wale Edun said, would help to improve economic growth in the country.

Wale Edun said “A system of payment has been implemented to ensure that Nigeria’s money is spent wisely and accountably. The government has played a role in helping states in attracting cheap funding and processing projects at the community level. Nigeria’s international credit rating has improved, with Moody’s and Fitch increasing and improving Nigeria’s rates to positive.

“The government is committed to counterbalancing the negative effects of economic reforms with interventions across the social spectrum. Infrastructure is key to growing the economy, building employment, and creating multiplier effects throughout the economy. A fund has been set up to provide institutional long-term funds to support housing construction and low-interest mortgages for the average Nigerian and we are working to attract cheap funding for states and process projects at the community level.”

Wale Edun further said, “And as it was mentioned earlier, the pivot thing to CNG is a government policy not just for vehicles but for generators. They have to be either CNG-fueled or solar-based or electric vehicles.

“That is the new incentive structure. And it continues also in the oil and gas sector. There has just been a new set of incentives that are encouraging new investments. We expect $7bn worth of investment that has been sitting on the sideline to now come; similarly, in other sectors.

“A stable, growing economy attracts investment that increases productivity, grows the economy further, creates jobs and reduces poverty. That is the trajectory that Nigeria is now on.”

Source: https://solacebase.com/1-year-in-office-fg-to-resume-n-power-conditional-cash-transfer-program-others/

Federal Government Of Nigeria To Conclude Disbursement Of ₦50,000 Federal Government Grant By Friday May 31st, 2024

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has announced that the ₦50,000 federal government grant for nano businesses covering 1,000,000 applicants across the federation is still in progress, stating that it will be concluded by the end of this month Friday 31st May 2024.

The Minister in charge of the federal government grant, Doris Uzoka-Anite, revealed this in a frequently asked questions (FAQ) circular issued on Thursday on her official X (formerly Twitter) account.

According to Doris Uzoka-Anite, the federal government grant disbursement is ongoing and all remaining successful applicants will receive their alerts between now and 31st May 2024.

“Many have already received their grants—thank you for your patience! For those waiting, please hold tight.

“The disbursement process is ongoing in batches and not yet completed. All remaining successful applicants will receive their alerts between now and the end of May. No further action is needed on your part for now.

“The disbursement is currently in progress and processed in batches. It is expected to be completed by the end of May 2024."

Only one million applicants to receive the federal government grant.

Doris Uzoka-Anite, also disclosed that only 1,000,000 from the over 3,600,000 applicants will be eligible to receive the federal government grant, adding that the federal government grant only covers such number of people.

Doris Uzoka-Anite, explained that the federal government grant disbursements are not based on any specific criteria but rather follow the order in which applications are verified.

According to Doris Uzoka-Anite,, the aim is to distribute funds to an estimated 1,290 beneficiaries per local government area (LGA) across the country, aiming for a total of one million recipients.

“Disbursements aren’t based on any specific criteria but in the order, applications are verified. The goal is to reach an estimated 1290 beneficiaries per LGA across the country totaling 1 million.

“Disbursement is subject to verification of NIN, which became mandatory after the initial application phase which required only BVN. The selection is random, without human intervention, from those who have passed both their NIN and BVN verification.

“Of over 3.6 million applicants, only 1 million will receive the grant. This is the threshold based on the amount budgeted for nano businesses,” Doris Uzoka-Anite, said.

In December 2023, the Federal Government launched the federal government grant as part of the Presidential Palliatives Programme aimed at supporting nano businesses.

The federal government grant offers non-repayable financial grants to eligible small business owners in various sectors such as trading, food services, ICT, transportation, creative industries, and artisans.

The federal government grant plans to distribute 70% of the grants to women and youths, 10% to individuals with disabilities, and 5% to senior citizens, leaving 15% for other demographics.

Doris Uzoka-Anite the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment announced that each qualifying recipient would receive a ₦50,000 federal government grant, which will be directly deposited into their bank accounts, with the goal of reaching 1,000,000 small businesses across the 774 LGAs and six council areas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Stressing the extensive impact of the federal government grant, Doris Uzoka-Anite highlighted its potential to benefit communities across the entire nation, targeting a total of 1,000,000 beneficiaries.

Source: https://nairametrics.com/2024/05/02/fg-to-complete-disbursement-of-n50000-grant-by-end-of-may-uzoka-anite/

30,000 Students Successfully Applied For Student Loan

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr during press conference said a total of thirty thousand students have successfully applied for the student loan.

Similarly, over sixty thousand students have applied on the student loan portal of the fund.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this in a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

On June 12, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023 into law to enable indigent students to access interest-free student loan for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

The move was in “fulfillment of one of his campaign promises to liberalise funding of education,” a member of the then Presidential Strategy Team, Dele Alake, said.

The Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law, also established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to process all student loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery.

Although the government initially announced that the student loan would be launched in September, it suffered several delays leading to an indefinite postponement in early March.

The Presidency had linked the delay to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to expand the student loan scheme to include student loan for vocational skills.

After receiving a briefing from the NELFUND team led by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, on January 22, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed the Fund to extend interest-free student loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programmes.

Source: https://punchng.com/just-in-30000-successfully-registered-for-student-loan-nelfund/

Student Loan To Extend To State Institutions In Three Weeks Time

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says the student loan will be extended to state-owned tertiary institutions in three weeks.

On May 24, the student loan application portal was launched.

Before the rollout of the student loan, NELFUND said students of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges would benefit from the first phase of the student loan.

However, NELFUND clarified that the student loan second phase will extend student loans to state-owned institutions.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND managing director, said since the launch of the student loan, an overwhelming response has been received, with over sixty thousand students successfully registering on the student loan application portal.

“This for us has been an overwhelming response and it serves as a testament to the critical need for financial assistance amongst our student population and we remain committed to addressing this urgent demand,” Akintunde Sawyerr said.

Akintunde Sawyerr said student loan registrations do not necessarily translate to completed student loan applications by the students, adding that of the figure, only thirty thousand students have successfully applied for the student loan.

The managing director of NELFUND Akintunde Sawyerr said in line with NELFUND’s commitment to higher education, it will “commence accepting applications from students attending state-owned tertiary institutions in three weeks time”.

When asked about the exact date, Akintunde Sawyerr said the fund aims to start receiving student loan applications on June 25. However, Akintunde Sawyerr added that the date remains tentative with factors like data upload by institutions.

“We request all state institutions to submit their students data immediately in order to facilitate a smooth and seamless application process,” Akintunde Sawyerr said.

Akintunde Sawyerr revealed that over 90% of federal institutions of higher learning have submitted their student data to the fund.

“However, we urge the remaining two federal universities and five federal polytechnics to expedite the process to ensure that all eligible students can access financial support, so that we can expand to state-owned tertiary institutions,” Akintunde Sawyerr said.

Source: https://www.thecable.ng/just-in-student-loan-applications-to-open-for-state-owned-institutions-in-three-weeks/amp/