NELFUND has eased financial burden on poor students – Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima lauded the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a transformative initiative that has significantly alleviated financial burdens on underprivileged students, removing obstacles to higher education, according to a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Stanley Nkwocha.

Shettima emphasized that NELFUND, launched by the President Bola Tinubu administration, has become a pivotal social equalizer and a crucial tool for poverty alleviation and education advancement in Nigeria. The Vice President made these remarks on Wednesday during a meeting with the University of Abuja management team, headed by Vice Chancellor Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi.

Under NELFUND, tuition fees are covered and students receive monthly upkeep allowances, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder their pursuit of tertiary education. Shettima reminisced about his student days at the University of Maiduguri, highlighting how rising food prices at the cafeteria made higher education unattainable for many children from poor backgrounds. He praised the Tinubu administration for creating NELFUND to provide much-needed relief and support to the children of the poor.

The Vice President also noted Nigeria's progress on the path to sustainable economic development under the Tinubu administration, attributing recent improvements in sovereign credit ratings and outlooks to strengthened foreign exchange reserves, increased oil production, higher federal allocations, and ongoing macroeconomic reforms as part of the Renewed Hope administration.

Shettima commended Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi for his effective leadership in overcoming past challenges at the University of Abuja, describing the university as now standing on a solid foundation with restored stability. He pledged the Federal Government's commitment to providing the necessary support to the institution. Fawehinmi appreciated Shettima's role in the Tinubu administration's growth and development, calling him a cerebral and dynamic leader whose intellectual agility is evident in his support for the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The University of Abuja management thanked Shettima for his consistent support, acknowledging the institution's recent leadership struggles but expressing optimism about recent efforts to stabilize the school.