Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a landmark initiative that is easing the financial burden of higher education for students from less-privileged families.
Shettima said the scheme, established by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, had become an important tool for reducing poverty and expanding access to tertiary 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 Fawehinmi.
He said NELFUND’s coverage of tuition and provision of monthly upkeep allowances had helped remove financial barriers that previously forced some students out of higher education.
Recalling his days as a student at the University of Maiduguri, Shettima said the rising cost of food and other expenses could make university life difficult for students from poor backgrounds.
“NELFUND is a very beautiful initiative by the leadership of this country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, created to give respite and breathing space to the children of the poor,” he said.
Shettima also commended the management of the University of Abuja for restoring stability to the institution, saying the university had overcome some of the challenges that previously confronted it.
He assured the university of continued federal government support, saying the administration would do everything within its capacity to strengthen the institution.
Earlier, Fawehinmi thanked the Vice President for his support for the university and the Tinubu administration’s education initiatives.
The Vice Chancellor described Shettima as a mentor whose leadership had helped the university’s governing council navigate some of its challenges.
Fawehinmi said NELFUND had contributed to greater stability in the education sector by enabling students to remain in school despite financial difficulties.
He said the university’s current management had also focused on stabilising the institution after what he described as a difficult leadership history, adding that the team had made significant progress since assuming office eight months earlier.
