The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, has expressed grave concerns over the low student’ applications for its loan at the Rivers State University.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director, NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr during a Strategic Engagement and Sensitization Campaign on operations of the Fund on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
Sawyerr who was represented by the Director, Administration, NELFUND, Dr. Zion Ugboma, stated that 1,500 applicants have registered for the scheme. He described the number out of a nearly 40,000 student capacity in the school, as troubling.
The MD pointed out that the visit was to institution was strengthen ties with the university. And to improve on the troubling statistics related to students participation in their programmes.
According to Sawyer, the statistics showed low registration rate. With 3,000 applications from University of Port Harcourt and 1,500 from the Rivers State University.
He said, “Going through our records, we discovered something that is not too pleasant in relation to your university. And we are here to have a talk with the management.
“We want to know what the problem is. Because the money is there. And it is meant to be disbursed to these young people. Let us work together to solve this,” Sawyerr said.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, acknowledged the troubling gap and pledged to address the issue.
Zeb-Obipi who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Victor Akujuru, thanked NELFUND. He stated that the meeting marked a critical point in the relationship between the two institutions.
The Vice Chancellor promised that both organizations would work collaboratively in the coming weeks to address the concerns raised.
On his part, the university’s Director of ICT, Prof. Sunny Orike, stated reasons for the low participation by the students. He said the application process involved multiple steps which many students failed to follow through.
Orike, however, assured that the unit would work with the students to address the challenge and bridge the gap.
On his part, the President, Student Union Government (SUG), of the institution Rizi Owabie, reaffirmed the union’s support for the government-backed funding programme.
Owabie noted that information had been disseminated both formally and informally to raise awareness among the students.
The SUG President assured that the union would intensify sensitization campaign on the importance of the loan.
source: NAN