Enugu, Nigeria – Enugu State has taken a bold and historic step toward inclusive education and workforce development by officially launching the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) rollout for zero-interest student loans for tertiary education and being selected as the pilot state for the federal government’s ₦1 Billion Skills Acquisition Loan Programme.
The two-day strategic engagement spearheaded by Hon. Arinze Chilo-Offiah, Special Adviser to the Governor on MSMEs and Digital Economy and Director-General of the Enugu SME Center, with support from Dr. Chinyere Onyishi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Innovation (representing the Honourable Commissioner for Education) and NELFUND, a key initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Programme brought together key education stakeholders, government officials, traditional leaders, and community representatives to align on policy, infrastructure, and implementation.
Day 1: Strategic Alignment for Zero-Interest Student Loans
Day 1 was anchored around the full rollout of NELFUND’s zero-interest loan programme for tertiary students, which covers tuition fees and offers an optional ₦20,000 monthly upkeep allowance for up to 12 months. The digital application process requires JAMB verification, NIN, and institutional confirmation. Funds are disbursed directly to institutions.
Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director/CEO of NELFUND, led a high-level session with Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, Registrars, and Deans of Student Affairs across Enugu State, emphasizing the urgent need for institutional participation to ensure students can access the funding without delay.
Breakout Sessions focused on:
– Institutional portal integration and data validation
– Fraud prevention through system controls
– Compliance workflows for real-time verification
Simultaneously, Executive Director of Operations Mr. Mustapha Iyal held technical sessions with ICT Directors and MIS officers, aligning on backend data structures, feedback mechanisms, and automation to streamline disbursement.
Despite Enugu’s strong education credentials, the state currently ranks 33rd of 36 in NELFUND application uptake. The Day 1 engagement served to reposition Enugu for immediate progress and deeper participation.
Traditional rulers, local government chairpersons, and education leaders engaged in an interactive Q&A session—raising concerns on application delays, age limitations, feedback gaps, and part-time student eligibility. NELFUND assured participants of improvements including dashboard alerts, USSD rollout, and institutional dashboards.
Day 2: Enugu’s Skills Infrastructure and ₦1 Billion Pilot Programme
Day 2 spotlighted Enugu’s readiness to implement the newly introduced ₦1 Billion Skills Acquisition Loan Program, a federal intervention designed to fund non-academic learning pathways in high-demand sectors such as fashion, tech, renewable energy, animation, digital services, and skilled trades- which aligns with the Enugu State Human Capital Development Loan Programme
To demonstrate operational readiness, the NELFUND delegation—led by Mr. Mustapha Iyal—visited three key facilities across the state
1. Enugu Fashion and Garment Hub
This cutting-edge co-working and production space offers tailored support for fashion entrepreneurs and trainees. With industrial-grade equipment, classrooms, and commercial production capacity, the hub will serve as a flagship site for fashion-related disbursements under the Skills Loan Programme.
2. Government Technical College (GTC), Enugu
The team toured the newly revamped GTC, a technical education hub now fully equipped for trades like welding, mechanical work, electrical installation, and construction. The tour was led by Dr. Amaka Ngene, Chairman of the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Boardv(STVSMB), Enugu State, who showcased the modernized workshops and emphasized the role of GTC in training artisans aligned with the federal skills agenda
3. Digital Skills Enhancement Zone (D-SEZ) at ESCET
At the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), the delegation visited the D-SEZ—a smart, tech-enabled training facility focused on digital literacy, software engineering, design, and online entrepreneurship. The D-SEZ is part of Enugu’s broader strategy to train 50,000 youths annually in digital economy-aligned skills.
These tours highlighted Enugu’s unique infrastructure advantage and validated its capacity to serve as the national testbed for the Skills Loan rollout
Outcomes and Next Steps
At the conclusion of the two-day engagement, the following next steps were agreed:
1. Full integration of NELFUND into all tertiary institution application and student finance portals
2. Establishment of a NELFUND support WhatsApp group for institutional liaisons
3. Technical alignment with private universities, ICT academies, and vocational centers
4. Formalization of Enugu as the location for the NELFUND South-East Zonal Office
Goodwill messages from the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, the Rector of IMT, the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers, and other key stakeholders reinforced cross-sector support for long-term success
Conclusion
With the rollout of zero-interest student loans and the launch of the ₦1 Billion Skills Acquisition Loan Programme, Enugu is rewriting the playbook for education financing and workforce development in Nigeria. From academic tuition access to technical empowerment, the state is providing its youth with the tools to thrive in a modern economy.
This initiative is not just about loans—it is about inclusion, opportunity, and transformation. Under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, Enugu is showing what it means to build a future where no learner is left behind.