The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone F (South-East), has announced plans to organize the Southeast NELFUND Students Appreciation and Awareness Rally, a landmark event aimed at appreciating the Federal Government for the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) while intensifying awareness of the scheme among students across the region.
The announcement was made by the leadership of NANS Zone F, led by Comrade Ikechukwu Emmanuel, who said the rally would bring together students, education stakeholders, and beneficiaries from tertiary institutions across the five South-East states in a united effort to celebrate what it described as one of the most impactful educational interventions in recent years.
According to the student body, the event is designed not only to express appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the implementation of NELFUND, but also to promote greater awareness of the opportunities the initiative provides for Nigerian students facing financial challenges.
NANS noted that education remains a critical driver of national development, lamenting that for many years, financial hardship forced countless brilliant students to suspend or completely abandon their academic pursuits.
It stated that the introduction of NELFUND has significantly changed that narrative by providing eligible students with financial assistance that enables them to continue their education without the immediate burden of tuition payments.
The association disclosed that shortly after assuming office, the leadership of NANS Zone F constituted a fact-finding committee to assess the impact of the NELFUND programme across tertiary institutions within the South-East geopolitical zone.
The committee, according to the statement, engaged student leaders, institutional stakeholders, and direct beneficiaries of the scheme through consultations aimed at evaluating its effectiveness and level of acceptance.
Presenting its findings, the committee reported overwhelming positive feedback from students across the region, with beneficiaries acknowledging that the scheme has greatly improved access to higher education by eliminating one of the biggest obstacles to academic continuity financial constraints.
Several beneficiaries reportedly testified that the intervention prevented them from dropping out of school, enabled them to complete outstanding registrations, participate in examinations, and continue pursuing their academic ambitions with renewed confidence and dignity.
Despite the success recorded by the programme, the committee observed that many eligible students remain unaware of the application procedures, eligibility requirements, and full benefits of the scheme.
It stressed that the discovery highlights the urgent need for sustained sensitization and awareness campaigns across tertiary institutions to ensure that more students can benefit from the initiative.
Describing the findings as both encouraging and inspiring, NANS Zone F maintained that NELFUND has become a transformative educational intervention that has restored hope to thousands of Nigerian students while strengthening confidence in the nation's education sector.
The association explained that the forthcoming Southeast NELFUND Students Appreciation and Awareness Rally will serve as a non-partisan platform where beneficiaries from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the South-East will collectively express gratitude for the initiative while encouraging wider participation and advocating for the sustenance and expansion of policies that promote educational access and youth development.
It added that the rally would also provide an opportunity to educate students who are yet to benefit from the programme on the application process and encourage constructive engagement between students and government on issues affecting education.
To ensure the successful organization of the event, NANS Zone F announced that it would immediately constitute an organizing committee to coordinate preparations for the rally.
The association assured students and the general public that further details regarding the date, venue, programme of activities, and other arrangements for the Students Appreciation and Awareness Rally would be communicated through the committee as preparations progress.
