Representatives of South-East governors and lawmakers at the National Assembly are working together to assist students from the region in benefiting from the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, made this known in a statement on Monday, ensuring that the issues will be resolved, and students from the region will soon be included in the Federal Government’s student loan program.
This assurance came after concerns raised by the South-East caucus in the National Assembly regarding the alleged exclusion of the region following the release of the list of eligible institutions by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) nationwide.
NELFUND’s publication revealed that institutions in the North, South-West, and South-South regions had participated in the program, but none from the South-East had benefitted from the fund initiated during President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The situation sparked reactions on social media, prompting NELFUND to clarify that no institution in the southeast had completed verification on its platform.
In his statement on Monday, the Deputy Speaker mentioned engaging with the relevant authorities overseeing student loans and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved soon.
During the discussions, the low student registration from the South-East and errors in completing necessary forms, such as missing Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board results, were identified as the main reasons for the exclusion of the region.
Affected institutions in the South-East have taken steps to rectify these issues.
“The region’s governors are actively involved in increasing student participation, while members of the National Assembly are urged to ensure their constituents comply promptly,” he stated.
To raise awareness, his office initiated several measures, including creating jingles in English, Igbo, and Pidgin English for broadcasting on regional radio stations.
For instance, Abia State Polytechnic in Aba had 2,543 eligible students, but none applied due to missing JAMB numbers.
At Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, only 406 out of 21,342 students submitted applications.
Meanwhile, Abia State University in Uturu had no applications out of 17,928 eligible students, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with 40,769 eligible students, received only 781 applications.
Efforts are underway to address these disparities and encourage more students from the South-East to apply for the student loan.
In Imo State, a similar pattern was observed across various institutions, reaffirming the need for increased awareness and engagement among students.
Kalu urged institutions to motivate their students to apply for the loan while calling on stakeholders to establish registration centers in communities for wider participation.
He emphasized the governors’ commitment to enhancing student involvement and tasked South-East legislators with ensuring compliance among their constituents.
While urging patience from South-East students and residents, Kalu reiterated the ongoing efforts to address the issue effectively.