NELFUND Has Given Poor Students Fresh Hope, Says Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a landmark intervention of the Bola Tinubu administration, saying the scheme has provided crucial financial relief to students from poor and vulnerable backgrounds.

Shettima said NELFUND had helped remove financial barriers to tertiary education by covering tuition fees and providing monthly upkeep allowances to beneficiaries, making poverty less of an obstacle to accessing higher education.

The Vice President spoke on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the management team of the University of Abuja, led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi.

According to Shettima, the Federal Government deliberately positioned NELFUND as a social equaliser and an important instrument for poverty reduction and educational advancement.

Recalling his experience as a student at the University of Maiduguri when rising food prices affected students, Shettima described NELFUND as a “very beautiful initiative” created by the Tinubu administration to provide “respite” and “breathing space” for children from poor families.

He said the scheme had ensured that students who might otherwise have been forced to abandon their education because of financial difficulties could remain in school and complete their studies.

Shettima also declared that Nigeria had “crossed the rubicon” and was firmly on the path of sustainable economic development under the Tinubu administration.

He attributed the progress to recent upgrades in Nigeria’s sovereign credit ratings and outlooks by international rating agencies, stronger foreign exchange reserves, increased oil production, higher federal allocations following the removal of fuel subsidy and ongoing macroeconomic reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Vice President commended the University of Abuja management for restoring stability to the institution, saying the leadership of Prof. Fawehinmi had successfully tackled challenges that previously confronted the university.

He assured the institution of the Federal Government’s continued support, stressing that the administration would do everything within its capacity to provide the university with the assistance required for further development.

Earlier, Fawehinmi commended Shettima for his support for the Tinubu administration and described the Vice President as a mentor whose leadership had contributed to the effective management of the university.

The Vice Chancellor said NELFUND had contributed significantly to stability in the education sector by enabling students to remain in school despite financial challenges.

Fawehinmi also acknowledged the university’s difficult leadership history, saying the present management had, within its first eight months in office, focused on restoring stability and repositioning the institution for progress.