The National Assembly, in partnership with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has announced plans to expand the student loan scheme from 1.6 million beneficiaries to seven million students nationwide.
The initiative was unveiled on Monday, June 15, 2026 during a one-day national sensitization programme organized in Abuja by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, in collaboration with NELFUND. The campaign aims to deepen public awareness and streamline access to educational funding for indigent scholars nationwide.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, emphasized that robust communication is vital to the programme’s ultimate success.
“People need to understand what the programme entails and how they can access it, noting that many qualified Nigerians are still waiting to benefit from the intervention. That is exactly what this sensitisation campaign is all about, and it should be taken round the entire six geo-political zones.”
NELFUND Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, shared milestones from the fund’s operations to date, revealing that the scheme has already disbursed over N282 billion to support students across tertiary institutions. Sawyerr highlighted that the current 1.6 million direct beneficiaries translate to an indirect positive impact on nearly 10 million Nigerians when considering the average family size.
Looking forward, Sawyerr outlined plans to extend the fund’s reach beyond conventional higher education.
“This expansion is necessary to drive the required national transformation by ensuring that more young Nigerians have access to education, vocational training, and opportunities for self-development,” Sawyerr said. He noted that incorporating Skills Acquisition, Technical, and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into the scheme could ultimately uplift an estimated 50 million citizens indirectly.
Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships, and Tertiary Education Financing, commended the timely nature of the sensitization program, describing NELFUND’s disbursements to date as a remarkable achievement for Nigerian scholarship.
Reiterating the legislative framework behind the push, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on TETFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse, affirmed that the joint sensitization drive is a core part of the committee’s constitutional oversight. He stressed that sustained, transparent awareness campaigns will guarantee equitable access to education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
With legislative backing and expanded vocational pathways, NELFUND and the National Assembly are committed to ensuring that financial constraints no longer limit the academic and professional potential of Nigerian youths.
