The House of Representatives Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships, and Higher Education Financing will, on Thursday, hold the Southwest Zonal Sensitisation Engagement as part of ongoing efforts to deepen awareness and strengthen public understanding of the Federal Government’s Student Loan Scheme and other education financing initiatives.
The event, according to the consultant to the programme, Dr Ayodeji Ologun, is designed to bring together key stakeholders in the education sector, heads of tertiary institutions, students, education administrators, and policymakers across the South West geopolitical zone.
The stakeholders, he said, would discuss the implementation, accessibility, and impact of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and other intervention programmes of the Federal Government aimed at promoting affordable and inclusive tertiary education in Nigeria.
Ologun said the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Adenike Temidayo Oladiji, will be the Chief Host for the strategic engagement.
According to him, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero, representing Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships and Higher Education Financing, will lead other members of the Committee and the leadership of the NELFUND from Abuja.
Ologun stated that the sensitisation programme forms part of the legislative oversight and public engagement mandate of the House Committee, aimed at monitoring nationwide awareness of the Student Loan Scheme, assessing compliance with NELFUND requirements, and reinforcing public confidence in legislative support for education financing in Nigeria.
He noted that the initiative will also provide an interactive platform for institutions and stakeholders to share experiences, raise concerns, and contribute recommendations that would enhance the effectiveness of the student loan scheme and other educational support frameworks.
Some of the institutions invited to participate in the engagement included the Federal University of Technology, Akure; Federal College of Agriculture, Akure; Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo; Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji; Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Adekunle Ajasin University; Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, among others.
Ologun emphasised that the programme is a testament to the National Assembly’s commitment to ensuring that no qualified Nigerian student is denied access to higher education due to financial limitations.
He called on stakeholders, institutional representatives, students, and members of the public to actively participate in the engagement for the collective advancement of the nation’s education sector.
