Northern senators have asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give special consideration to students in higher institutions in the region in the disbursement of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Their request was contained in a letter dated October 28, 2024, addressed to President Tinubu and signed by Chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central).
The senators noted that the national loans scheme was supposed to be evenly distributed to all students across the country but argued that the exigency in the North makes it necessary for students in the region to get special treatment.
The senators said the scheme bolsters the chances of young citizens to return to school and achieve gainful employment, and urged northern state governments to sustain the active participation of citizens by ensuring active collaboration with NELFUND in undertaking awareness campaigns across tertiary institutions within their states.
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The letter reads in part: “We will not lose sight of the fact that this programme is a national scheme, and therefore should command a semblance of balance and spread across the country’s geo-political zones.
“However, considering the level of youth restiveness and violent extremism that has plagued the North for over a decade-and-half, it will not be out of place for the government to deliberately target a geometric enhancement of access to tertiary education mainly for young northerners.
“This scheme bolsters the chances of these young citizens to return to school and achieve gainful employment. As a forum of northern legislators, we acknowledge the impact of the historic Act setting up NELFUND and the propensity of the initiative to enable progress, especially in reducing insecurity and improving living standards across our communities.”
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