The Rivers State Government has applauded President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for conceiving the idea of setting up the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) which has opened up opportunities for our youths to acquire tertiary education irrespective of their financial status.
Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara gave this applause while playing host to a delegation from NELFUND who came on an advocacy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, 28th January 2025.
Represented by his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu Governor Fubara said in developed countries it is common for people to go through school with loans which they sometimes pay all throughout their lives, noting that for us it is more accessible and more friendly because you would be required to pay back the loan two years after your National Youth Service.
“It is a win-win situation; it is a situation where the youths in Nigeria should not say because my parents are poor or passed away I cannot improve on my educational growth.
This offers them a golden opportunity and I am glad you came for this advocacy “. Governor Fubara stressed.
The State Chief Executive urged NELFUND to intensify its advocacy to let the people know how they can benefit from it, adding that it is more important when talking about vocational institutions.
“If you look at the developed countries it is people that went to the vocational schools that make so much money, because it is pricey to get somebody to do anything, we need to instil this into our people, our youths, because people sometimes tend to look down on people that went to vocational schools, it should not be”. The State Chief Executive quipped.
Governor Fubara who expressed delight with the NELFUND Program said the State Government would do whatever it can to ensure Rivers State benefits maximally from this scheme.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nigeria Education Loan Fund Dr. Akintunde Sawyer informed the Governor that they were in Rivers State to seek the support of the State Government in accessing the opportunity that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund is taking across the country, stressing that President Tinubu has directed them to ensure no Nigerian student who has the ability and desire to get educated at tertiary level is denied the opportunity due to of lack of funding. According to him, the scheme provides interest-free loans to students who apply, noting that these loans are not repayable until two years after their Youth Service when they must have gotten a job.
