A Nigerian widow, Mrs Nwachukwu Blessing Chituru, has praised the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and President Bola Tinubu for giving her children renewed hope of attaining university education despite the financial hardship her family has faced since the death of her husband.
Speaking in an interview, Chituru recounted her struggle to raise her four children alone after losing her husband in 2023.
She said the tragedy left her as the family’s sole provider, forcing her to depend on her salary as a private school teacher while taking on menial jobs, including washing clothes, running errands and carrying out odd jobs for church members, to support her family.
Despite the financial difficulties, she remained determined to educate her children.
“I struggled alone to train my children after the death of my husband. There was no assistance from family members, but I refused to give up because education is the greatest inheritance I can give them,” she said.
The widow explained that when her daughter secured admission into the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in 2025, she borrowed money to pay the institution’s fees because she had no other means of funding her education.
She said her financial burden eased when NELFUND paid the tuition and the money she had earlier paid was refunded.
According to her, the intervention became even more significant when her daughter began receiving the Fund’s monthly upkeep allowance.
“I was worried about how she would cope in school because everything is expensive. Receiving the upkeep allowance gave me peace of mind. It showed me that my daughter would not be stranded while pursuing her education,” she said.
Chituru admitted that she initially doubted the student loan scheme, describing it as “too good to be true” because she did not know anyone who had benefited from it.
However, after learning that applicants did not need political connections or to pay anyone before accessing the scheme, she encouraged her daughter to apply.
“I was told that nobody needed to know anyone or pay any money before applying. I asked my daughter to apply, believing we had nothing to lose,” she said.
She described the successful application as life-changing.
“Today, I can confidently say that NELFUND is real, genuine and working. My daughter benefited without knowing anybody or paying anyone. That has restored my confidence,” she added.
The widow commended President Bola Tinubu for introducing policies aimed at expanding access to higher education and praised the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, for ensuring that financially disadvantaged students are not denied university education.
She expressed hope that the programme would be sustained, noting that her younger children are still in secondary school and could also benefit when they gain admission into tertiary institutions.
“I pray that God will continue to bless everyone behind this initiative. My other children are still in secondary school, and I pray that when their time comes, NELFUND will also come through for them. This programme has given my family hope again,” she said.
She also encouraged eligible students and parents across the country to take advantage of the student loan scheme, saying her family’s experience has convinced her that the initiative is making a meaningful difference in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Credit: Clifford Ejenavi
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