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NEWSAN Tasks States On Transparency In Portable Water Supply

Published

5 years ago

December 31, 2020

Mustapha Suleiman

The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), has urged state governors to allocate more resources to ensure portable water supply to Nigerians.

This call was made by the NEWSAN, National Coordinator, Mr. Benson Attah during a high-powered visit to Kaduna state.

NEWSAN is a coordinating network of over 300 Civil Society Organisations, Non- Governmental Organisations, and Community Based Organisations in water, sanitation, and hygiene spread over six geopolitical zones of Nigeria to ensure access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for all Nigerians.

Attah said that NEWSAN had prior to Kaduna visit, visited Ekiti, Benue and Cross River states in its efforts to ensure that state governments nationwide comply with. So, Kaduna was the last state we visited on the high-level advocacy visit being carried out by the NEWSAN national executive committee.

Citing reasons for the visit, Attah said that it was meant to actualize its plans and concerns about the ways water sanitation are being managed particularly at the state level.

He said, “ NEWSAN have been concerned about the ways water sanitation are being managed particularly at the state level and we have discovered that states come up with a budget, but such budget are not released for implementation. Sometimes, they come up with very minimal amount, we have seen a state where only 1 million naira was released for WASH for a whole year and we are wondering was that to pay the staff salaries or buy groundnut. What would I million naira do for a whole sector in a state? And we have also seen a state where they approved money for WASH in their 2015 budget and at the end, the 500 million was released, going to see what the money was released for, we could not trace anything.

“No activities, no projects could be traced for that amount, so they just used the WASH sector as a pipeline to siphon the money and that was a political, electioneering year, so, they used it for election and this is deceptive because any other person who doesn’t know will think such state is doing very well. And it could mislead the developing partners from even paying attention to such a state because they will assume a state that is releasing 500 million nairas is doing well. And that state they assumed is doing well might even be the worst.’’

He reiterated NEWSAN’s commitment to work closely with stakeholders under the support of the Water Supply Collaborative Council (WCC) and Sanitation and Water for all (SWA) in improving water sanitation across the country.

The NEWSAN coordinator noted that in the past, the water sector was driven by the development partners, but was supposed to be the responsibility of the government to drive the process as applicable in every sector in the country.

He, however, commended the current minister for Water Resources Engr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu for his proactive measures in driving the process that will lead to safe water delivery to Nigerians as envisioned by WASH.

He said that the organization has trained its members in the aspect of budget monitoring in the area of water supply and sanitation to ensure accountability and probity on the part of the government and all stakeholders.

Attah stressed that adequate clean water supply, toilet availability to curb open defecation as well as robust budget allocation for the water sector will go a long way in addressing the health epidemic nationwide.

He also urged the government at all levels to support the girl-child in the provision of sanitary pads to save them from the challenges they face in their monthly menstrual flow, which he said is harrowing especially when they are from poor families and cannot afford to pay for the sanitary pads.

He said, ‘’ some girl-child don’t go to school during their menstrual period just because they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads and don’t want to face the embarrassment that goes with it in public. So there is a need for government to make sanitary pads free at schools for the girl-child.’’

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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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