The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), a pro-democracy group based in Abia State, has criticized the National Assembly’s education committees for leaving South-East universities out of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursement. This new fund was intended to provide loans to students at 19 universities, but South-East institutions were not included.
In a statement issued on Monday, FENRAD’s Executive Director, Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, voiced concerns about the lack of action from both chambers of the National Assembly regarding the exclusion of South-East universities. The group finds it troubling that only the South-East National Assembly caucus has addressed the issue, while broader legislative intervention could have provided more assurance to students from the region.
FENRAD recalled a similar situation during the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, when the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovations and Development (PRESSID) was launched to support first-class graduates with scholarships to study abroad. However, the scheme was halted when Muhammadu Buhari became president, allegedly due to inadequate representation from the North. This cancellation adversely affected many South-East students who had been accepted to study abroad.
Furthermore, FENRAD noted that under Buhari’s administration, a new policy named ‘Education for Change; Ministerial Plan 2018-2022’ led to the creation of 10 specialized universities across Nigeria in 2021, none of which were located in the South-East. Although there was a claim that the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) would benefit from a federal upgrade, little progress has been reported on this upgrade.
The group also expressed disappointment that some South-East universities have not completed their verification for full access to NELFUND, while others, like Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), have faced technical issues. Of the over 27,000 students who have received loans so far, none are reported to be from the South-East.
FENRAD emphasized that this exclusion is concerning, particularly since students from the South-East contribute to the fund through taxes and other revenue. The group is calling for the federal government to ensure that South-East students and universities are included in NELFUND to address educational funding gaps in the region.
The Foundation also challenged federal lawmakers who claim that the current APC-led government supports the South-East, urging them to ensure fair treatment and inclusion of the region in all federal programs. FENRAD advocates for greater awareness and access to federal education packages for the South-East.
