The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced plans to deploy its IT teams to tertiary institutions across the country to enable seamless integration between the student loan application process and institutional portals.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement and technical workshop held on Tuesday in Abuja, NELFUND’s Managing Director, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, said the initiative is part of efforts to simplify access to student loans.
According to Sawyerr, the proposed integration will allow students to apply for loans directly through their respective school portals, removing the need to log in separately to NELFUND’s platform.
“We’re exploring the possibility of deploying our IT teams to institutions to enable direct connection with your portals,” he said. “Ideally, students should be able to apply via your platforms without having to come through NELFUND, making the process smoother and more accessible.”
Institutional Partnership Key to Sustainability
Sawyerr emphasised the importance of institutional collaboration in realising a transparent, sustainable, and student-centred loan system.
“We’re striving for stress-free access—a system students can trust. Transparency is key so that no applicant is left in the dark,” he noted. “We rely on our institutional partners to help bring this vision to life.”
He reminded participants that the core mission of NELFUND is not merely to distribute funds, but to serve the ambitions of young Nigerians. “Everything we do must serve that student—a young Nigerian with dreams and ambition. The only way forward is through collaboration, open communication, and practical solutions,” he added.
Tackling Financial Barriers in Technical Education
Addressing persistent financial challenges, especially among students in technical and vocational institutions, Sawyerr noted that many drop out or never apply due to lack of funding.
“For too long, students—particularly those in technical institutions—have faced major financial barriers. That’s the gap NELFUND aims to close, but we cannot do it alone. This is a shared mission involving the public and private sectors.”
He underscored that NELFUND’s broader vision is about creating opportunities for all students, regardless of background or location.
Funding Update
Also speaking at the event, Executive Director of Operations, Iyal Mustapha, revealed that over 320,000 students had already received loans through the platform, while thousands more were in the verification process.
“We have 576,000 registrations on our portal, but only 516,000 completed applications,” she explained. “Some applicants may have dropped out due to data issues or simply wanted to test the system.”
She clarified that the institutional loan is distinct from the monthly upkeep loan of ₦20,000 and is paid directly to the institutions.
Mustapha expressed optimism that, with institutional cooperation, more students would gain access to the loan facility.