Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, has addressed claims that South-East tertiary institutions were deliberately excluded from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) student loan scheme.
Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Special Adviser to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, clarified during an interview on August 29, 2024, that the institution submitted a list of 556 students who applied for the loan to NELFUND on August 14. Of these, 304 students received approval from NELFUND on August 16, 2024.
Ojukwu stated that the Student Affairs Unit at UNIZIK is currently verifying the list of approved applicants to ensure they are genuine students before the loans are disbursed.
This clarification follows concerns raised by the South-East caucus of the National Assembly about the absence of beneficiaries from South-East institutions in the ongoing disbursement of student loans. The loans, which aim to support economically disadvantaged students across Nigeria, have so far amounted to N2 billion, benefiting 27,667 students from 19 institutions nationwide. The lack of South-East institutions among the beneficiaries led to speculations of regional marginalization.
UNIZIK emphasized that the institution is indeed included in the NELFUND scheme and that the processing of student loan applications is ongoing.