NELFUND: Northern Senators Write Tinubu, Seek Special Consideration for Northern Students

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has asked President Bola Tinubu to give special consideration to northern students in higher institutions, in the disbursement of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
The senators made the appeal through the forum’s chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, in a letter dated October 28 and addressed to President Tinubu.

The northern federal lawmakers in the letter sighted by THISDAY in Abuja on Thursday noted that the national loans scheme was supposed to be evenly distributed to all students across the country but the exigency in North makes it necessary for students in the North to get special treatment.

Part of the letter read: “On behalf of the Northern Senators, I wish to most respectfully express our profound gratitude to His Excellency President Bole Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and eminent Nigerians in the Board and Management of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), led by Mr. Jim Ovia, as chairman and Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr as MD/CEO.

“Our expression of deep appreciation is in view of the enormity of the impact of the Student Loans Scheme, which has been initiated with instant impact across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“The students from tertiary institutions in the North have shown belief in and responsiveness to the scheme, and it is heartwarming to find Bayero Universy Kano, University of Maiduguri and Federal University Dutsin-Ma, leading the charts of beneficiaries in the early days of the scheme, with over 16,000 combined number of beneficiaries, amongst other students from numerous other institutions.
“We will not lose sight of the fact that this programme is a national scheme, and therefore should command a semblance of balance and spread across the country’s geo-political zones.

“However, considering the level of youth restiveness and violent extremism that has plagued the North for over a decade-and-half, it will not be out of place for the government to deliberately target a geometric enhancement of access to tertiary education mainly for young northerners.

“This scheme bolsters the chances of these young citizens to return to school and achieve gainful employment.
“As a forum of northern legislators, we acknowledge the impact of the historic Act setting up NELFUND and the propensity of the initiative to enable progress, especially in reducing insecurity and improving living standards across our communities.

“Finally, we wish to encourage northern state governments to sustain the active participation of citizens by ensuring active collaboration with NELFUND in undertaking awareness campaigns across tertiary institutions within their states.”