Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has urged parents to speak openly with their children about the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying some students may already be benefiting from the scheme without informing their parents.
Oyedele made the statement during a media briefing in Abuja after a journalist said none of his three children had benefited from NELFUND and that he did not know anyone who had.
Responding, the minister advised the parent to ask his children whether they had applied for the scheme and to request evidence of their applications.
According to Oyedele, some students could have received the funds without their parents knowing, while still collecting financial support from home.
He also encouraged parents to assist their children with the application process if they had not yet applied.
Oyedele explained that eligible students can access up to ₦1.5 million under the scheme, while beneficiaries may also receive monthly stipends in addition to support for tuition and other educational expenses.
He described NELFUND as one government initiative whose impact could be seen through the experiences of beneficiaries, noting that some students had publicly expressed excitement after receiving financial support.
The minister further revealed that NELFUND has recorded higher uptake in northern Nigeria compared with the southern part of the country.
He attributed the difference partly to what he described as greater willingness in the North to embrace the government’s initiative, while noting that people in the South tend to be more skeptical of government programmes.
Oyedele encouraged parents whose children have not benefited from NELFUND to help them access the programme by providing the necessary details and completing the application process.
He stressed that parents should engage their children directly to find out whether they have already applied or received support from the scheme.
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