By Amaechi Agbo

The management of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, has directed students of the institution to, without delay, apply for the National Education Loan, Fund (NELFUND).

This was contained in a memo signed by the Director of Academic Planning, Professor Chike Anibeze.

In the circular released recently, the university noted that students’ data have been successfully uploaded into the NELFUND portal and urged the students to make best use of the opportunity.  

“This is to inform you that ESUT students’ data had successfully been uploaded to the NELFUND site. Our students are now eligible to register at the website,

www.nelf.gov.ng to access the loan.

“Deans of Faculties and Hods to please sensitize the students to make use of this great opportunity by visiting and registering at the site: https://www.nelf.gov.ng

“Please kindly do the needful as various universities/colleges have already benefited from the scheme,” circular read.

It could be recalled that South East tertiary institutions were initially unable to access the loan due to inability of universities in the region to upload their data into the website. This, however, has been sorted out.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 556 students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State have applied for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

According to the institution, the applications were submitted on August 14, adding that out of the 556 that applied, 304 students were approved by NELFUND on August 16, 2024.

Recall that the South-East caucus of the National Assembly has raised concerns over the exclusion of beneficiaries from South-East tertiary institutions in the ongoing disbursement of student loans by NELFUND.

The loans, intended to support students across Nigeria, have so far amounted to N2bn benefiting 27,667 students from 19 institutions nationwide.

Currently, the Northern region is dominating the list of states with highest number of universities that have so far applied for the loan. The states are: Kano, Borno, Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Plateau, Adamawa, Yobe and Taraba states.