Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has called for increased sensitization on the benefits of the National Education Loan Funds (NELFUND) to encourage more Nigerian students in Higher Institutions to access the initiative.
Governor Otti made the appeal on Friday, while receiving a delegation led by the Director of Regional Advocacy, National Education Loan Funds, Engr. Nneamaka Okafor.
He emphasized that proper awareness would boost participation and enable students to pursue their academic ambitions without financial constraints.
The Governor noted that the attitude of the average Igbo individual towards loans is generally cautious, which makes advocacy essential.
“Our people have this attitude towards loan except if they’ve tried everything. Because once you are owing, even the business people when they borrow they want to pay back.
“This is where advocacy comes in. I am not too sure that our people know that it is interest – free, may be they know, but their attitude towards borrowing still has something to do with it. I think we need to sensitize them“, Gov. Otti said.
He highlighted the potential impact of the loan on students from low-income backgrounds and stressed the need for extensive sensitization campaigns across tertiary institutions in the state, including Abia State University, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Governor Otti tasked the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Professor Uche Emeh Uche, to lead an aggressive advocacy campaign to raise awareness of the loan program across all tertiary institutions in Abia State.
He assured Engr. Okafor of his administration’s support, including provision of an office space and necessary logistics to facilitate the agency’s operations in the State.
The Governor also highlighted the success of the State’s Free Education Policy at the Primary and Secondary levels, noting a significant increase in school enrollment since its introduction in January.
“Initially, we thought enforcement might be necessary, but the surge in school registrations shows that people genuinely want to learn. Schools are now bursting with students, and there’s no need for enforcement,” he said.
Earlier, Engr. Nneamaka Okafor explained that her visit is aimed at seeking the State Government’s partnership in sensitizing the public about the student loan program.
She revealed that the South East region records the lowest number of applicants for the loan, which started in April 2024.
She further explained that the Interest-Free Loan is designed for students in Government-owned Higher Institutions, including Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education adding that beneficiaries are expected to repay the loan within 10 years, starting two years after completing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program.
Engr. Okafor commended Governor Otti for his remarkable achievements across various sectors in the State and requested an office space to enhance NELFUND’s operations in the Abia.
