A pro-democracy group, the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), has strongly criticized the National Assembly Education Committees for allegedly excluding Southeast universities from the recently launched Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). The exclusion, which impacts students across 19 tertiary institutions, has sparked concern and outrage within the region.
In a statement released on Monday by FENRAD’s Executive Director, Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the group expressed deep disappointment over what they perceive as a deliberate oversight by the National Assembly’s education committees. FENRAD noted that despite the Southeast National Assembly caucus raising concerns, the committees have remained silent on the matter, further fueling fears of marginalization.
“It is worrisome that the only legislative intervention so far has come from the Southeast National Assembly caucus,” the statement read. “The involvement of the entire house or education committee could have given this issue the national attention it deserves, reassuring students from the Southeast that there is no sinister plot to marginalize or exclude them.”
FENRAD highlighted a history of similar exclusions, citing the cancellation of the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovations and Development (PRESSID) under the Buhari administration, which adversely affected many students from the Southeast. The group also referenced the “Education for Change; Ministerial Plan 2018-2022,” under which 10 specialized universities were established across Nigeria, with none located in the Southeast.
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The group further criticized the technical difficulties faced by Southeast universities, such as Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), which have hindered their access to NELFUND. Despite completing the necessary verification, these universities continue to struggle with glitches, leaving many students without access to the much-needed loans.
Adding to the frustration, FENRAD pointed out that none of the over 27,000 students who have benefited from the fund so far are from the Southeast. This exclusion, if true, raises serious questions about the inclusivity of the policy, especially given that students from the Southeast, including those from underprivileged backgrounds, should have been eligible.
FENRAD also emphasized the economic contributions of the Southeast to the federal government’s revenue through taxes and levies, arguing that the region should not be left out of federal initiatives like NELFUND. The group urged federal lawmakers, particularly those promoting the current administration as being pro-Southeast, to ensure that the region is adequately represented in national programs.
“The Southeast cannot afford to exclude itself again,” FENRAD stated, calling for mass education to ensure that people in the region are aware of and can access all federal government packages, including grants, palliatives, and other support programs.
