FIC Report (Nasarawa State) – The Federal Government says it has disbursed more than N303 billion to beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) across public tertiary institutions in the country over the past two years.
Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyer, disclosed this during a one-day Renewed Hope Student Leaders Engagement and Digital Acceleration Programme for the North Central geopolitical zone, held in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
The programme, themed “Empowering Students with Digital Skills and Innovation,” brought together students from public tertiary institutions across the North Central zone.
The Renewed Hope Student Leaders Engagement and Digital Acceleration Programme is an initiative of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration aimed at empowering students in tertiary institutions through digital skills development and innovation within the Information and Communication Technology ecosystem.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr Akintunde Sawyer said Nigeria’s future would depend largely on how effectively its young people are equipped with relevant skills and encouraged to embrace entrepreneurship and innovation.
He described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a major youth-focused intervention of the Tinubu administration, designed to expand access to tertiary education and reduce the financial burden on families.
According to him, the scheme has provided opportunities for students from different backgrounds to pursue their education and acquire the knowledge and skills required to secure their future. He pointed out 850,000 have benefited out of the 1.5 million applications received from students in public tertiary institutions across the country.
Mr Sawyer urged Nigerian students to embrace emerging opportunities in the digital economy and develop skills that would enable them to become productive and self-reliant.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by the Director of University Education, Dr. Kareem Lateef, encouraged students to take advantage of opportunities provided by the Federal Government to develop their potential.
He identified agriculture, skills acquisition and the digital economy as critical areas young Nigerians could explore to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to national economic development.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement, Comrade Sunday Asefon, said the programme was part of deliberate policies by the Tinubu administration to provide support and equal opportunities for Nigerian students.
Comrade Asefon explained that the administration remained committed to creating an enabling environment for students to pursue their education without unnecessary disruptions while acquiring skills that would enhance their prospects after graduation.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lafia, Professor Mohammed Isa Kida, described the initiative as a student-centered intervention capable of contributing to stability within the nation’s university system.
Professor Kida stressed the need to put measures in place to ensure the sustainability of the initiative.
He also advised students to diversify their skills and take advantage of opportunities in technology, entrepreneurship and innovation to contribute to economic growth and national development.
The highlight of the event was the symbolic presentation of digital equipment, including laptop computers, to beneficiaries.
ARI, LIMAN AMINU.
HEAD OF CENTRE,
FIC, LAFIA.
