By Emeka Okafor & Ovie Okpare
Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, Delta State and Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) are among the seven federal higher institutions whose students’ data have not been submitted to benefit from the President Bola Tinubu’s newly introduced Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), otherwise known as Students’ loan scheme.
Federal Polytechnic Orogun, according to the information on the Students’ loan scheme, is the only federal institution with academic activities that is yet to submit or upload data of their students on the scheme website in the Niger Delta region.
Repeated checks by NIGER DELTA TODAY Online revealed that other federal institutions in the region including Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Auchi Polytechnic Auchi, University of Calabar and University of Benin were listed for the scheme.
However, Federal Polytechnic Orogun, which is the only federal polytechnic in Delta State, was conspicuously missing in the list of federal institutions to whose students will not benefit from the first stage of the disbursement of the non-interest education loan.
NIGER DELTA TODAY Online gathered that Federal Polytechnic Orogun and five other federal polytechnics were currently missing on the portal of NELFUND owing to the failure of the institution management to submit necessary documents and data of their students to the office of the Students’ Loan Scheme.
Our correspondent gathered that a total of 126 federal tertiary institutions have so far have been listed to benefit from NELFUND students loan across the country.
Sources within the NELFUND students’ loan office confided on our correspondent that Federal Polytechnic Orogun and six other federal institutions were yet to provide credentials to the management of the scheme thereby not listing their schools as benefitting schools.
According to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), 1.2million students from federal government-owned universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and technical colleges are expected to benefit from the first phase of the scheme, while those of state-owned tertiary institutions will be announced in due course.
Data made available to the media revealed that no fewer than 60,000 students have so far registered for the scheme through its official website: www.nelf.gov.ng. Applicants are expected to complete the application form for the interest-free loan within a period of 15 to 30minutes.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Fund, Akintinde Sawyerr said only students whose institutions have completed and uploaded their students’ data on its website are eligible to apply.
Briefing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Sawyerr said “To ensure efficient application processing, we are pleased to report that over 90% of Federal Institutions of higher learning have submitted their students’ data to NELFUND. However, we urge the remaining two Federal Universities and five federal polytechnics to expedite the process to ensure that all eligible students can access our financial support.
“In line with our commitment to democratize higher education, we are excited to announce that NELFUND will commence accepting applications from students attending state-owned tertiary institutions in three weeks. We request all state institutions submit their students’ data immediately, as requested, to facilitate a smooth and seamless application process.”
It was, however, not clear why the affected institutions had failed to upload data of their students on the scheme website.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Orogun, Dr. Duke Okoro and the school public relations officer, Comrade Progress Omo-Agege on the development proved abortive as repeated calls to their telephone lines rang out.
A glance at the site revealed the 126 federal institutions to include:
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
- Federal College of Education, Abeokuta
- Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike
- Federal College of Education, Bichi
- Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu
- Federal College of Education Technical, Gusau
- Federal College of Education, Isu Ebonyi
8 Federal College of Education, Kano
- Federal College of Education, Katsina
- Federal College of Education, Kontagora
- Federal College of Education, Odugbo
- Federal College of Education, Okene
- Federal College of Education, Pankshin
- Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe
- Federal College of Education, Gidan Madi
- Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze
- Federal College of Education (Tech), Potiskum
- Federal College of Education, Gombe
- Adeyemi College of Education
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo
- Bayero University Kano
- David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu
- Federal Univeristy of Agriculture, Abeokuta
- Federal University, Birnin Kebbi
- Federal University Dutse
- Federal University Gashua, Yobe
- Federal University, Lafia
- Federal University, Lokoja
- National Open University
- Univeristy of Ilorin
- Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi
- Federal University of Kashere
- Federal University of Technology, Akure
- Federal University of Technology, Owerri
- Federal University, Otuoke
- Federal University, Wukari
- Federal University, Gusau
- Federal Polytechnic Ayede
- Federal Polytechnic Bali
- Federal Polytechnic Bauchi
- Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State
- Federal Polytechnic Daura
- Federal Polytechnic, Idah
- Federal Polytechnic, Ede
- Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji
- Federal Polytechnic Mubi
- Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo
- Federal Polytechnic, Nekede
- Federal Polytechnic Offa
- Federal Polytechnic Oko
- Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda
- Flexisaf University of Technology-edu
- Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka
- Federal College of Education, Yola
- Federal College of Education, Zaria
- Federal University, Dutsin-Ma
- Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State
- Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru
- Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo
- Federal University Oye-Ekiti
- Federal University of Technology, Babura
- Federal College of Education, Obudu
- Creek-high state
- Federal College of Animal Health, VOM
- Federal College of Education Edo
- Federal Polytechnic Illaro
- Federal Polytechnic Kazaure, Jigawa
- Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua
- Federal University of Technology, Minna
- Federal College of Education, lwo
- Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, Warri
- Federal College of Education, Tech, Omoku
- University of Abuja
- University of Calabar
- University of Lagos
- University of Maiduguri
- University of Port Harcourt
- University of Uyo
- Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto
- Federal Polytechnic Bida
- Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa
- Kaduna Polytechnic
- Federal Polytechnic Ohodo
- Federal College of Education, Zuba
- Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola
- National Teachers Institute
- Nigerian Army College of Education
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa
- Obafemi Awolowo University
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic Birnin-Kebbi
- Yaba College of Technology
- Global Martime Academy
- Petroleum Training Insitute
- Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Atikori, Ijebu-Igbo
- University of Jos
- Federal College of Agriculture Akure
- Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan
- Federal School of Surveying, Oyo
- Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology
- Federal Polytechnic Wannune
- Federal Polytechnic, N’yak, Shendem
- Nigerian Army University, Biu
- Nigerian Defence Academy
- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
- Airforce Institute of Technology, Kaduna
- Nigeria Police Academy Wudil
- Federal University of Transportation Daura, Katsina
- Federal Polytechnic Umunnoechi
- Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny
- Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State
- Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri
- Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi
- Federal Polytechnic Ukana
- Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Bayelsa
- Federal Polytechnic Ugep
- Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba
- Admiralty University Ibusa, Delta State
- Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko
- University of Benin
- National Institute of Construction Technology and Management, Uromi
- Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi
- Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State
- Federal University of Health Sciences, lla-orangun
- University of Ibadan
- Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo.
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