PTI Students Urged to Utilize NELFUND for Financial Assistance

Dr. Samual Onoji, the newly appointed Principal and Chief Executive of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun, Delta State, has urged students to leverage the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to alleviate their financial challenges. Onoji made this call during a visit from NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, and his team to the Institute on Monday. The PTI principal emphasized that NELFUND was created to offer financial assistance to students across Nigeria, stressing the importance for PTI students to seize this opportunity. Sawyerr, the Managing Director of NELFUND, informed students that the fund is available to both new and returning students at tertiary institutions across the country. He explained, “NELFUND will disburse funds within a reasonable period after a successful application.” The loan, according to Sawyerr, is designed to assist qualified Nigerian students with tuition fees, other related charges, and living expenses while studying at approved tertiary institutions or vocational and skills acquisition centers in Nigeria. Sawyerr also encouraged students to take advantage of NELFUND to improve their financial situation during their studies, noting that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund was established by the Federal Government as an intervention initiative. He shared that since its inception, NELFUND has disbursed over N104 billion to 613,734 students at Nigerian tertiary institutions, with projections indicating that the number of beneficiaries could rise to approximately 2.1 million. These funds include both institutional fees paid directly to the institutions and upkeep loans sent directly to students’ bank accounts. The NELFUND MD further explained that the loan program is aimed at students enrolled in government-owned tertiary institutions such as polytechnics, universities, and colleges of education, with PTI falling into this category. “We have about 417,000 students registered on our portal, and 328,000 have submitted applications. Many of them have been processed, and most are expected to receive the loan,” Sawyerr concluded.