FG Urged to Establish Youth Advisory Body to Strengthen NELFUND and Education Loan Policies

Youth-focused organisations across Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to deepen accountability and inclusion within its empowerment initiatives by establishing a dedicated Youth Advisory Body for the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

In a joint statement marking National Youth Day, the groups — including LEAP Africa, Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative, NAF Foundation for Young Women, Nigeria Youth Futures Fund and S4Television — commended ongoing government initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities for young people. They highlighted programmes such as NELFUND, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), and the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) as major steps toward reducing youth unemployment and improving access to education and digital skills.

According to the statement, NELFUND holds strong potential to boost educational access for students from low-income households by easing financial barriers to tertiary education. However, the organisations stressed that meaningful impact can only be achieved if young people are fully involved in shaping, reviewing, and monitoring these initiatives.

They urged the Federal Government to institutionalise youth representation, transparency structures, and accountability frameworks across all youth-targeted programmes. This includes the creation of a Youth Advisory Body for NELFUND to ensure fair access, responsiveness, and proper oversight.

The groups further called for consistent implementation and regular evaluation of the National Youth Policy, backed by adequate funding, public transparency, and youth-led monitoring systems. They also advocated for more open governance practices such as participatory budgeting, digital accountability platforms, and youth advisory councils at federal, state, and local levels.

Their statement also encouraged increased investments in youth innovation, digital skills development, and community-based initiatives that enable young people to directly contribute to national progress and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).