From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) said on Friday that it might open its doors and windows to students in vocational skills centres to participate in the student loan scheme.
It said that the idea is to support vocational training through loans, helping individuals access technical education at various skill centres, including fashion design and other trades.
The Executive Director, Operations, NELFUND, Mr Iyal Mustapha, stated this during a sensitisation campaign in Enugu on Friday.
The sensitisation tour included visits by the NELFUND management to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu; College of Education, Technical, Enugu, and the MSME Clinics Fashion and Garment Hub in Enugu
Mr Mustapha said that Enugu might be one of the first states where the initiative will begin, adding that the plan includes training costs, providing upkeep support, and supplying tools after training. He said the exact amount for upkeep is still being finalised, and institutional charges related to transport would be part of the loan.
On the assessment of the MSME Clinics Fashion and Garment Hub in Enugu, Mr Mustapha said: “There’s a lot of positivity with what we see. It’s very positive for us at NELFUND, and Enugu will be one of our first states, one of the first states we’re going to start. I will not say that Enugu will be the only state, but one of the first states to start with. So, one of our mandates is to support vocational skills. “When it’s time, we would open our portal for people at the vocational skills centres to apply. And we are going to have these centres in a strategic place for easy access and participation.”