The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, has dismissed claims that the NELFUND student loan scheme is being used to favour supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sawyerr described the allegation as “completely ridiculous,” arguing that the electronic loan application system is not designed to identify or assess students based on their political affiliations.
He made the clarification on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
According to the NELFUND boss, students applying for the loan are required to provide basic details, including their names and matriculation numbers. He said the system does not collect information about applicants’ political affiliations.
“I have not heard this allegation, but I can tell you that it’s a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party,” Sawyerr said.
He questioned how political affiliation could be established in the first place, particularly among students, many of whom are yet to vote or may be preparing to vote for the first time.
NELFUND Student Loan Application Is Electronic
Sawyerr explained that the NELFUND student loan application process is electronic and requires applicants to meet established eligibility requirements.
He said applicants must provide their names and matriculation numbers and must be students of eligible public tertiary institutions.
“It is a process you have to apply for this loan electronically. If you don’t have a name, you can’t apply for this loan. You provide your matriculation number; you have to be in a public institution,” he said.
The NELFUND chief executive also disclosed that demand for the student loan has been overwhelming, while insisting that the process is designed to assess applicants according to established criteria rather than political, ethnic or religious considerations.
NELFUND Student Loan Scheme Does Not Consider Religion or Ethnicity
Sawyerr further rejected claims that the NELFUND student loan scheme discriminates against applicants based on their religion, ethnicity or gender.
He said the system is focused on Nigerian students who meet the required standards and does not take applicants’ religious or ethnic identities into consideration.
“We have a system that is focused on people who are Nigerians and meet the standard. The system doesn’t recognise your gender. There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end,” he explained.
According to Sawyerr, the system does not distinguish between students based on their tribe or religion.
He added that the application process does not determine whether an applicant is a Christian, Muslim or adherent of an African traditional religion.
NELFUND Debunks Fake Claim on Loan Repayment
The controversy surrounding the NELFUND student loan scheme came as the Fund also moved to debunk a viral claim concerning loan repayment.
NELFUND on Sunday described as “fake news” an image circulating online which claimed that President Bola Tinubu had announced life imprisonment for students who fail to repay their education loans after graduation.
The Fund urged members of the public to disregard the claim.
What Is the NELFUND Student Loan Scheme?
The NELFUND student loan scheme provides interest-free education loans to eligible Nigerian students enrolled in public tertiary institutions.
The scheme is designed to assist students with institutional fees and provide monthly upkeep allowances, helping eligible beneficiaries meet some of the financial demands associated with higher education.
NELFUND continues to administer the scheme as demand for student financing grows among Nigerian students.
