NELFUND Loan: Tinubu commits N90bn to support 400,000 students – Minister

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu has committed over N90 billion to school fees and upkeep of 400,000 students across the nation’s tertiary institutions.

He said the President made the commitment through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund initiative.

Idris disclosed this when a platform of State Commissioners of Information, led by the Commissioner of Information and Internal Security of Borno, Prof. Usman Tar, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund initiative of the President has enabled over 400,000 Nigerian students to remain in school and study without financial challenges and burdens to their parents and guardians.

According to him, Tinubu’s vision is to ensure the holistic development, prosperity, and well-being of all Nigerians, irrespective of political party affiliation or religious backgrounds.

“The Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu has committed N90 billion to NELFUND. Tinubu’s vision is that, on no account, should a Nigerian child of school age be denied going to a tertiary institution.

“Therefore, this amount is not for school fees alone but also for upkeep of over 400,000 students across different tertiary institutions in the country.

“Nigeria under Tinubu is on the path to prosperity. This is my message to you. We are in government to serve the interests of all, irrespective of political parties.

“If you will not listen to me because I was appointed by President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, don’t forget that your children need the NELFUND to stay in school.

“And also your people who have cancer need treatment and would have to access the Cancer Screening and Treatment Centre/Oncology that Tinubu provided,” Idris said.

The information minister reiterated that the heart of President Tinubu is for all Nigerians, not for people who belong to a particular political party or religious background, adding that Tinubu is the President for all Nigerians.

The Fund, during its first anniversary, said it has received over 550,000 loan applications since it was launched on May 24, 2024.

The implementation of the student loan scheme is President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector, under the Access to Higher Education Act.

It aims to create a legal framework for granting loans to indigent or low-income Nigerians to facilitate the payment of their fees in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

(NAN)