Vice President Kashim Shettima has commended the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for providing financial relief to students from less-privileged backgrounds and helping to remove barriers to higher education.
Shettima said the scheme, established by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had become an important tool for expanding access to tertiary education by covering tuition fees and providing monthly upkeep allowances to eligible students.
The Vice President spoke on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the management team of the University of Abuja, led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi.
He described NELFUND as a landmark initiative capable of reducing the financial burden on poor families and ensuring that students are not forced to abandon their education because of financial difficulties.
“NELFUND is a very beautiful initiative by the leadership of this country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, created to give respite and breathing space to the children of the poor,” Shettima said.
He recalled his experience as a student at the University of Maiduguri, saying the rising cost of food at the university cafeteria was one of the challenges students faced.
Shettima said the provision of tuition support and monthly upkeep allowances under NELFUND was helping students cope with the cost of tertiary education.
He said the government had positioned NELFUND as a social equaliser and an instrument for poverty alleviation, stressing that no student should be denied higher education simply because of their family’s financial circumstances.
The Vice President also said Nigeria had crossed the rubicon and was firmly on the path of sustainable economic development under the Tinubu administration.
He cited recent upgrades in Nigeria’s sovereign credit ratings and outlooks by global rating agencies as evidence of growing confidence in the country’s economic direction.
According to him, the development was supported by stronger foreign exchange reserves, increased oil production, higher federal allocations following the removal of petrol subsidy and ongoing macroeconomic reforms.
Shettima said the administration’s reforms were aimed at creating a more stable and sustainable economic environment for Nigerians.
He also commended the management of the University of Abuja for restoring stability to the institution after years of challenges.
The Vice President praised Fawehinmi for providing leadership that had helped address some of the difficulties confronting the university.
“The University of Abuja is now standing on a solid pedestal, as real stability has been restored in the institution,” he said.
Shettima assured the university management that the Federal Government would continue to provide the necessary support to strengthen the institution and enable it to fulfil its mandate.
Earlier, Fawehinmi commended Shettima for his support for the Tinubu administration and his contributions to national development.
The Vice Chancellor described Shettima as a mentor whose leadership had assisted the university’s Governing Board in managing the institution.
“We have always known you to be a highly cerebral and dynamic leader. We appreciate the generous strides you are making in the country. We are not surprised at your intellectual agility,” Fawehinmi said.
He also praised NELFUND for its impact on the education sector, saying the initiative had contributed to stability by enabling students to remain in school despite financial challenges.
“NELFUND, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, has assisted immensely in bringing relative stability in the nation’s education sector. Students are able to go to school and are able to sustain their stay in the school,” he said.
Fawehinmi said the management and Governing Council of the University of Abuja deemed it necessary to appreciate the Vice President for the support he had continued to provide to the institution.
Reflecting on the university’s recent challenges, he said the current management had worked to restore stability since assuming office.
“Our recent history in terms of leadership has not been very palatable. There have been issues to do with our checkered history, but in the last eight months when we came on board, we tried our very best to stabilise the university,” he said.
He expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between the university and the Federal Government would further improve the institution and contribute to the development of Nigeria’s education sector.