The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, commended the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying the impact of the scheme is already evident through the growing number of beneficiaries across the country.
The revered monarch urged students, particularly those in Osun State and the South-West region, to take full advantage of the initiative, describing it as a transformative programme designed to ease the financial burden on parents and expand access to higher education.
The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC), Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula and Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide, received the management team of NELFUND at the Ile Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife, during a courtesy visit led by the Executive Director of Finance and Administration of the agency, Dr. Femi Akinfala, who represented the Managing Director, Mr. Akintande Sawyer.
Other members of the delegation included the Board Secretary, Mrs. Funmi Alagbada, Mr. Festus Adefehinti and Tinuke Bello.
Speaking during the visit, Akinfala described Osun State as one of the leading beneficiaries of the initiative and commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for embracing the programme.
According to him, over 125,000 undergraduate students in Osun State are currently registered on the NELFUND portal, while about 57,000 students have successfully applied for the loan scheme.
He disclosed that the agency has disbursed over N11 billion to students in the state, explaining that the intervention was introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that no willing student is denied access to higher education because of financial constraints.
Akinfala said: “Governor Ademola Adeleke is the first Governor in Nigeria to embrace NELFUND. Today in Osun State, we have about 125,000 undergraduate students on our portal and 57,000 students have applied for the scheme.
“We have disbursed over N11 billion to students in Osun State. President Tinubu brought this initiative to empower parents financially and support students in achieving their academic dreams.
“The Constitution of Nigeria has clear roles for traditional rulers. We have come to seek the support of the Ooni because of his influence at the grassroots. We want Kabiyesi to help us take this awareness campaign to all the South-West states.”
Also speaking, the Lowa Adimula of Ile-Ife, Oba Joseph Adekola Adeyeye, urged parents and guardians to encourage their children and wards to take advantage of the NELFUND initiative instead of abandoning their education due to financial challenges.
He also appealed to media practitioners to intensify public enlightenment campaigns on the programme to ensure wider participation among eligible students across the country.
In his remarks, the Ooni, who is also the Permanent Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), expressed concern that many eligible students were yet to apply for the loan despite the opportunities it offers.
“Over 60,000 students in Osun State have not applied for NELFUND out of over 125,000 students in the state. It should not be so. Our children should not continue to burden their parents financially when such opportunity exists. They should apply for it,” the Ooni said.
The foremost traditional ruler further commended President Tinubu for introducing the initiative, describing NELFUND as a far-reaching intervention capable of expanding educational access and reducing financial pressure on families.
“We have seen the impact of NELFUND and we have heard several success stories from beneficiaries. Thank you, President Tinubu, for making our children happy and for prioritising education through this laudable initiative,” the Ooni added.
Findings revealed that the agency has disbursed over N57.5 billion to more than 315,000 students across tertiary institutions in the South-West, in what stakeholders have described as one of the most impactful education intervention programmes introduced by the Federal Government in recent years.
A total of 357,355 students applied for the scheme across six South-West states, while 315,211 beneficiaries have so far received disbursements amounting to N57.59 billion.
Oyo State currently leads the region in both applications and disbursement volume, with 84,276 applications and N18.77 billion requested under the scheme. Out of this number, 75,800 students have already received N16.59 billion in approved loans.
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, emerged as one of the highest beneficiaries in the region, recording over 30,000 student applications valued at N7.58 billion, while the University of Ibadan accounted for 19,457 successful beneficiaries with disbursement exceeding N3.5 billion.
Osun State followed closely with 57,433 applications and total requests valued at N12.63 billion. So far, 51,724 students in the state have received over N11.16 billion under the initiative. Osun State University alone recorded 22,606 applications, with more than N7 billion requested and N6.72 billion already disbursed to 21,524 students.
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