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Stakeholders call for collaboration to bridge learning gaps in schools

Published

6 years ago

June 7, 2019

Funmi Lawrence

Stakeholders in the education sector have called for collaboration among schools to bridge the learning gaps, thereby increasing quality of education in Nigeria.

They made the submission on Friday at the 2019 Exposure Conference organised by Portsbridge Educational Services Ltd. in Abuja.

The conference which has its theme as: “Rethinking Teaching and Learning” was aimed at exploring various approaches to teaching and learning in the 21st century classroom.

Contributing, Dr Stella Ozigi-Adagiri, the Founder, Portsbridge Educational Services, said that there was need to bridge the gap between different levels of educational provision.

Ozigi-Adagiri said this was aimed at attainment of effective learning and teaching outcomes in schools.

“In the private sector, there are lots of gaps there; there are schools that are very privileged and our main aim is to see how we can encourage collaboration among schools so that we can bridge the learning gaps and the gaps in terms of quality.

“Most schools are almost like a failed system, they don’t have qualified teachers, and so there is a way private sectors can actually strengthen that gap by helping to collaborate.

“What we do is to provide training for teachers as educators, and we also provide opportunities for youths to actually develop themselves.

“We need to stop producing students that will be looking for jobs; rather, we are to be producing students that are entrepreneurs and can be useful for the growth and development of the country,” she said.

Also, Dr Tunde Adekola, a Senior Education Specialist with the World Bank, called for inclusive education for the Nigerian child.

According to him, coming to school is not as important as ensuring that children complete schooling, and completing schooling is not as important as learning itself.

“I want to see connection between teaching and learning; there should be a value addition to students who are in schools.

“The issue of rethinking is very apt in this season where we are having learning crisis. We should continue to dialogue.

“For some years now, efforts have been to get many children in schools.

“There is still room to bring more children who are marginalised to make education more inclusive and ensure students in the rural areas are in schools,” he said.

Adekola, however, called for partnership between state actors and non-state actors to come on board and take urgent action to maximise the benefits derived in terms of teaching.

He said teachers should be equipped adequately to give their best and get the right teaching outcomes in our schools.

In her remarks, Mrs Georgina Ikechi-Madu, a teacher from Elisangels Model School, FCT, Abuja, urged stakeholders in the education sector to meet up with the level of technological development through teaching.

Ikechi-Madu said that teaching should be made interesting for real life experiences as the world had shifted away from the old way of learning to learning through technology.

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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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