—Ogene Romanus Chizoba
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has further demonstrated the transformative impact of the Federal Government’s student-centred education reforms, with more than ₦1.08 billion committed to the tuition of 5,381 student nurses and midwives across 21 Federal and State Schools of Nursing nationwide.
The latest intervention is more than a financial disbursement; it represents a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria’s healthcare system and another compelling indication of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensuring that financial constraints do not become a barrier to education and personal advancement for Nigerian students.
Under the leadership of President Tinubu, the student loan scheme has evolved into one of the administration’s most significant interventions in the education sector, opening new pathways for students from different backgrounds to access and complete their studies. Through NELFUND, the Federal Government is steadily building an education financing system designed to give students hope, dignity and the opportunity to pursue their chosen careers.
The remarkable growth in NELFUND’s support for nursing and midwifery education tells the story clearly. From ₦59.4 million disbursed in the 2023/2024 academic session, the Fund increased its intervention to ₦205.8 million in 2024/2025 before recording a dramatic rise to ₦811.9 million in 2025/2026. Cumulatively, ₦1,077,070,700 has now been committed to tuition support across the 21 beneficiary institutions.
This represents an almost fourteen-fold increase in two academic sessions and underscores the expanding reach of the student loan programme under the management of NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr.
Sawyerr deserves commendation for the institutional leadership and commitment that have continued to drive the Fund’s expanding intervention. At a time when the cost of education remains a major concern for many Nigerian families, NELFUND’s growing disbursements are helping to turn student financing from a policy promise into tangible support that reaches classrooms and individual beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries cut across several parts of the country. The Oyo State College of Nursing, Eleyele, received ₦264.737 million for 559 applications, while the Ogun State College of Nursing received ₦94.42 million for 188 applications. Katsina State College of Nursing and Midwifery received ₦90.3718 million for 1,107 applications, Shehu Sule College of Nursing, Damaturu, received ₦82.9195 million for 828 applications, while Lagos State College of Nursing, Igando, received ₦81.564 million for 248 applications.
Other beneficiary institutions include nursing schools in Cross River, Kebbi, Edo, the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Taraba and Zamfara, as well as nursing schools attached to major teaching and specialist hospitals.
The significance of the intervention extends beyond the individual students whose tuition has been paid. Every student retained in school represents a potential nurse or midwife who will eventually contribute to healthcare delivery in communities across Nigeria.
This makes NELFUND’s intervention particularly strategic. By supporting students studying nursing and midwifery, the Federal Government is simultaneously addressing the challenge of education affordability and investing in the human capital required to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare workforce.
The gender dimension of the programme is equally noteworthy, as a significant proportion of nursing and midwifery beneficiaries are young women. By helping these students remain in school, the intervention is not only supporting professional development but also expanding opportunities for young Nigerian women to build sustainable careers and contribute meaningfully to society.
NELFUND’s support also goes beyond tuition. Direct upkeep allowances provide additional financial relief to beneficiaries, helping students meet essential needs while concentrating on their education and professional training.
For thousands of beneficiaries and their families, therefore, the impact of NELFUND is deeply personal. It means less pressure on parents and guardians, greater confidence for students and, in many cases, the difference between continuing an education and abandoning it because of financial hardship.
The ₦1.08 billion nursing and midwifery intervention consequently offers another powerful example of what can happen when education policy is matched with practical financial support.
President Tinubu deserves commendation for sustaining the vision behind NELFUND and placing student welfare and access to education firmly within the broader Renewed Hope Agenda. The administration’s investment in education financing is creating opportunities for young Nigerians while strengthening the foundation for a more skilled and productive nation.
Sawyerr and the NELFUND team equally deserve recognition for translating that vision into measurable interventions. The steady expansion of disbursements, growing institutional coverage and direct support to students demonstrate an approach focused not merely on announcing reforms, but on ensuring that the benefits reach the students for whom the programme was created.
With ₦1.08 billion now committed to 5,381 nursing and midwifery students, NELFUND is proving that student welfare can be placed at the centre of national development.
For Nigeria, the dividend will ultimately extend far beyond the university or nursing-school classroom. The students supported today are the nurses, midwives, health professionals and community caregivers who will serve Nigerians tomorrow.
That is the deeper meaning of the NELFUND intervention: investing in students today, strengthening Nigeria tomorrow.
Ogene Romanus Chizoba
