The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho (FUNATO), Oyo State, Professor Olaniyi Jacob Babayemi, has sought the inclusion of the institution’s students in the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
Babayemi made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, 15 April 2026.
The Vice Chancellor, who was accompanied by the university’s Bursar, said the visit was part of ongoing efforts to engage key stakeholders and ensure that students of the institution benefit from the federal government’s student loan initiative.
He commended the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing NELFUND, describing the scheme as a transformative intervention aimed at expanding access to higher education and reducing the financial burden on students and their families.
Babayemi noted that FUNATO, as a relatively new institution that commenced academic activities less than two years ago, is determined to ensure that its students are not excluded from the scheme. He therefore stressed the need for the urgent onboarding of the university onto the NELFUND portal to enable eligible students access financial support.
In his response, the NELFUND Managing Director, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, appreciated the Vice Chancellor and his team for the visit and reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to inclusivity and equitable access across all eligible tertiary institutions in the country.
Sawyerr assured that the Fund is actively working to expand its coverage to accommodate more institutions nationwide.
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