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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Deputy National Leader (Southeast) of Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN), Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, has called on students across the Southeast to take advantage of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing it as real, functional, and accessible.
Ngoforo made the call at the weekend while receiving a delegation of students’ union leaders from tertiary institutions in the Southeast. The meeting followed his engagement with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Mohammed Doro.
He told the student leaders to return to their campuses with the message that the Tinubu administration’s loan scheme has removed financial barriers to higher education, especially for students from low-income homes.
“No young person should be denied tertiary education because of financial hardship,” Ngoforo said. “President Bola Tinubu’s education loan policy aligns with the Southeast’s commitment to learning and has eliminated poverty as a valid reason for any qualified student to miss out.”
He expressed concern over reports that students from the Southeast were not fully utilising NELFUND and urged the union leaders to intensify awareness campaigns on their campuses.
Ngoforo also linked quality education to national development, noting that the modern economy is driven by knowledge and digital innovation. He cited the Igbo tradition of apprenticeship and the region’s growth in digital innovation as evidence of that culture.
Beyond education, he encouraged graduates to embrace entrepreneurship rather than wait for paid jobs. He pointed to interventions through the Bank of Industry and the Bank of Agriculture, which he said have disbursed billions of naira to support young entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“The initiatives complement the renowned entrepreneurial spirit of the Igbo people and are designed to unlock the economic potential of the region’s youth,” he said.
On politics, Ngoforo expressed confidence in the Tinubu administration’s economic agenda and urged students to support the president’s re-election in 2027 to allow him to complete ongoing reforms. He also cautioned them against politicians who may exploit ethnic or religious sentiments.
Responding to the delegation, its leader, Comrade Nelson Obi-Okafor, thanked Ngoforo for enlightening Nigerians on government policies. He described NELFUND as a significant intervention that has eased tuition and other costs for indigent students.
“We will disseminate this message across tertiary institutions and communities throughout the Southeast and continue to encourage eligible students to access the scheme,” Obi-Okafor said.
