Abia State Government, in collaboration with the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has launched a sensitisation campaign to encourage students of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, to take advantage of the federal government’s student loan scheme.
Speaking during the event held at Abia State University Uturu (ABSU), yesterday, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Eme Uche, expressed concern over the low participation of students from Abia State and the South-East in the scheme. She emphasized that Governor Alex Otti initiated the sensitisation programme after it was revealed by NELFUND that the region had the lowest enrollment records.
Prof. Uche underscored the importance of the initiative, stating; “No responsible parent would deny their child the opportunity to benefit from a good policy.”
Drawing from her personal experience as a past federal loan beneficiary, she encouraged students to apply without fear, noting that repayment conditions may be flexible or even waived in the future.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, ABSU, Prof. Ndukwe Okeudo, described the student loan as “free money” and urged students to shake off the fear of repayment and enroll.
He noted that many beneficiaries from past schemes had never been asked to pay back the loans.
The Managing Director/CEO of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, represented by the Assistant Director of Fund Mobilisation, Mr. Augustine Akubo, lamented the poor response from students in the South East. He also criticized some tertiary institutions in the region for failing to submit the necessary student data to the Fund.
Mr. Sawyerr revealed that zones like the North East and North West had already recorded high numbers of beneficiaries. He urged ABSU students to consider the loan as part of their rightful share of national resources.
He addressed concerns about repayment, assuring that students should not be discouraged by repayment fears, especially since President Tinubu may consider a loan forgiveness initiative. He also emphasized that repayment, if required, would be income-based and affordable.
According to Mr. Sawyerr, since the scheme’s launch in 2024, over 500,000 students have registered. Of those, more than 400,000 have received N21 billion as pocket money, while N29.9 billion has been disbursed for tuition payments. The fund is sustained through national budgetary allocations, TETFUND contributions, and recovered funds from the EFCC.
He guided the students through the application process and urged them to inform their peers in other institutions across the South East about the opportunity.
In a vote of thanks, ABSU SUG President, Comrade Ugoani Emmanuel, commended the state government and NELFUND for the initiative. He assured that the campaign would continue beyond the event and pledged the students’ support for Governor Otti’s administration, especially in light of the ongoing development projects at the university.
The event also featured an interactive session with the students.
