March 2024 has been set barely nine months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Access to Higher Education Bill into law which will enable indigent students access interest-free loans to pursue their education in any Nigerian tertiary institution.
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund), Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja urged eligible students to register to access the fund.
According to Sawyerr, the process delayed because it is technically driven and necessary measures needed to be put in place for proper execution.
“The take-off date is this month (March) and the reason for the delay is that we are trying to get it right.
“This is not a political programme where we say, oh! we are just going to do it, it doesn’t matter how it works.
“This is a programme that will, probably run beyond me as a human being, not even as a Secretary. This is something that we want to run adequately, so we have to get it right.”
“We have decided that all applicants should be able to access this scheme regardless of where they are, who they are and who they know.
“We want this to be a process that is fair to all and we will advertise the portal widely so that applicants will be able to go to the website to fill series of forms and answer certain questions.
“Base on the data they input and their answers to the questions, the system will be able to determine appropriately, whether they are eligible to apply or not.”
Recall that the Federal Government has appropriated ₦50 billion to the student loan scheme in the 2024 budget. The programme is expected to begin two years following the completion of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) by beneficiaries.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings