Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu has commended the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELfund), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, for the transparent and effective implementation of the federal government’s student loan scheme.
Gov. Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, made this commendation during a courtesy visit by Mr. Sawyerr and his team to the office of the deputy governor in Calabar on Wednesday.
Gov. Otu expressed his appreciation for the establishment of NELfund, noting that the initiative aligns with his administration’s priority on education and its commitment to providing financial support to students in tertiary institutions across the state and country.
“We thank President Bola Tinubu for introducing this initiative, which allows students to access funding for their education.
“Education remains a cornerstone of our People First mantra, and we are fully in support of NELfund’s mission to assist students in the state and the nation at large,” the governor stated.
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The governor reaffirmed the state’s readiness to support federal government policies that empower children from low-income families to access quality higher education and develop the skills needed for self-reliance, thereby improving the state’s socio-economic outlook.
In his remarks, Mr. Sawyerr stated that NELfund was created in line with President Tinubu’s vision to ease the financial burden on students and broaden access to quality higher education.
He praised the Cross River State Government for its unwavering support of NELfund’s mission and programmes.
He explained that NELfund has a two-fold mandate to enhance academic pursuits and to promote, support, and finance skills development across Nigeria.
Mr. Sawyerr disclosed that thousands of applications have been received from institutions in Cross River State since the programme’s launch, with many students already benefiting.
He reported that millions of naira have been disbursed to public institutions, including the University of Calabar, the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), and the Federal College of Education, Obudu.
The NELFund boss further assured that students of the newly established Cross River State University of Education and Entrepreneurial Studies, Akamkpa, Cross River State College of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, Itigidi, and the Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, will be included in the second phase of the scheme.
Also present at the meeting were the Chief of Staff to the governor, Emmanuel Ironbar, Special Adviser on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, and Special Assistant on Student Affairs, Comrade Kelvin Eyam.