The National Assembly is collaborating with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to expand the student loan scheme from 1.6 million to 7 million beneficiaries in a move to boost access to tertiary education and drive national transformation.
The ambitious expansion target was announced on Monday, June 15, 2026, during a national sensitisation programme in Abuja.
Speaking at the sensitisation programme on student loans, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, said the initiative was timely, noting that many indigent students still lack awareness of how to access the scheme.
He stressed the importance of nationwide sensitisation, saying the programme must be extended across the six geopolitical zones to maximise impact.
“No matter how beneficial a programme is, if the intended beneficiaries are not adequately informed about it, its impact will be limited,” Jibrin said.
The programme was organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund in collaboration with NELFUND.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the scheme had so far disbursed about N282 billion and directly supported 1.6 million students across Nigeria.
He explained that when indirect beneficiaries are included, the intervention has impacted nearly 10 million people, assuming an average household size of five.
Sawyerr added that the long-term goal is to expand coverage to about 7 million beneficiaries, including students in tertiary institutions and participants in vocational and skills acquisition programmes.
He said the expansion would strengthen technical and vocational education as part of broader efforts to improve employability and national development.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Students Loans, Scholarships and Tertiary Education Financing, Ifeoluwa Eyindero, described the sensitisation programme as timely and important in deepening public understanding of the scheme’s opportunities.
He said the fund had already recorded significant progress in supporting Nigerian students through financial assistance.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on TETFund, Muntari Dandutse, said the programme was part of the National Assembly’s oversight responsibility and its commitment to ensuring equitable access to education for all Nigerians.
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