The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has expressed concern over the low number of female students accessing its education loan scheme compared to their male counterparts.
Speaking in Abuja during the International Women’s Day celebration on Monday, NELFUND’s Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed that only one out of every five loan applicants was female, a figure he described as discouraging.
Sawyerr, who was represented by Oluwatosin Sanusi, NELFUND’s Head of Investments and Funds Management, said the initiative was designed to provide financial support for students in tertiary institutions, covering tuition fees and welfare.
He noted that in addition to tuition support, NELFUND also had a skill acquisition programme that provided funding for entrepreneurship training and equipment purchases, with students receiving a monthly stipend. However, female participation remained significantly lower than that of males.
“Currently, we have a ratio of 4 to 1, meaning that for every four male applicants, we have just one female. This is not impressive,” he stated.
To address this gap, Sawyerr said NELFUND was collaborating with women-focused organisations to create more awareness and encourage female students to take advantage of the opportunity.
He also stressed that repayment of the loan upon graduation and employment was essential to sustaining the scheme and expanding its reach to more students in federal and state-owned institutions.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmed, lauded the initiative, urging female students to utilise the fund to prevent financial difficulties from disrupting their studies.
Ahmed, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Education and Quality Assurance, Dr. Mufida Hussain, called for urgent action to ensure gender equity in access to education.
“Achieving gender equity requires bold, swift, and decisive steps. We cannot afford to wait. We must act now to break barriers and create opportunities for women and girls,” she stated.
She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to gender-balanced initiatives and encouraged female students to seize available opportunities to achieve their academic and professional goals.
Also speaking at the event, the National President of Female Students of Nigeria, Ms. Choice Enebeli, commended NELFUND’s efforts to encourage female participation in the scheme.
“Women’s rights are human rights, and we must continue to strive for a world where women and girls have equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and leadership positions,” she said.
Enebeli pledged to spearhead an awareness campaign across the country to ensure more female students benefit from the education loan scheme.
