Education
Chris Igbokwe Foundation Offers NCE Scholarship To 20 IDPs In Abuja
By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel
Management and board members of Chris Igbokwe Foundation at the weekend stormed Internally Displaced, IDPs, camps in Abuja to extend hand of assistant to the most vulnerable in the society, mostly from Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States.
The team led by president of the foundation, Chief Chris Igbokwe, who expressed shock over the general conditions of the camps, promised to equip the only hospital in the camp with medical items to reduce the incessant loss of lives to communicable diseases.
Chief Igbokwe, who offered scholarships to 20 IDPs to obtain National Certificate in Education, NCE, at Grand Plus College of Education, Ilorin, also gave 40 IDPs free skill acquisition training, as well as donated food items, financial support and a generator to power their boreholes.
He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to help those living in IDP camps, noting that “you don’t need to be a politician to help people. Those IDPs need to be given better training for them not to be used as objects of national destabilisation,” he said.
Also, patron of the foundation, Sir Mike Obienyi reassured Nigerians on the readiness of the foundation to complement the effort of government in training more youth and women with relevant skills and empower them enough to add positive value to the nation.
Obienyi said the Chris Igbokwe Foundation, which is in partnership with God, was committed to making a better life out of millions of vulnerable youths and women.
In his remarks, the chairman of WAASA IDP Camp, Abuja, which has over 5000 IDPs, Mr. Joefry Bitrus thanked the foundation for the kind gesture, especially the free NCE scholarship and skill acquisition programmes, begged the federal government to do more in bringing peace to their local communities so that they could go home.
The occasion was graced by the national leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, WAANSA Nigeria, Arewa Women Assembly and the management of Grand Plus College of Education.
Education
NELFUND assures students of smart system to improve loan access
Mariam Abeeb
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has assured students it was working assiduously towards building a technology driven system that would improve easy access to its loans.
This was as the FUND disclosed that no fewer than 320,000 students have thus far been paid with many more currently undergoing verification process to enable their payments.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr gave the assurances in Abuja, while addressing Polytechnics , Monotechnics and Institutes at a Stakeholders Engagement Session/ Technical Workshop on NELFUND System Automation and Loan Application Processes.
Sawyerr noted that the FUND was targeting a platform where students could access loan with confidence and without stress in a manner that was transparent and accountable.
He said: “At NELFUND our mission goes beyond giving loans. It’s about opening doors, it’s about making sure every young Nigerian who is willing to learn and grow has a real shot regardless of their background, location, or chosen path of study.
“For too long, many students, especially in technical institutions, have faced steep financial barriers; some drop out, others have never even applied. This is the gap we at NELFUND are here to close. But we know we can’t do it alone.
“This is a shared mission. It belongs to all of us, government institutions and the private sector alike. This technical workshop marks a major step forward.
“We’re not only providing financing, we’re building a technology-driven system that makes it easier for students to apply, for institutions to verify, and for funds to be disbursed with speed, fairness, and accountability.
“We’re aiming for access without stress, a platform students can use with confidence; transparency and trust so that no one is left wondering where their application stands; partnership with purpose because your feedback, your data, and your cooperation are critical to making this work. We rely on you as our institutional partners to help us bring this vision to life.”
Sawyerr who commended the institutions for providing technical expertise, practical hands-on training that fuels industries and empowers communities over the years, said besides teaching skills, they have built careers, created employers and strengthened economies.
“You know your students, you understand their struggles, your insights will help us tailor this system to reflect the realities on ground, not just assumptions on paper.
“To NBTE, we value your steady leadership in shaping and regulating technical education. Your collaboration is key as we move forward fully.”
The NELFUND boss urged the institutions to partner with the FUND to deliver a system that was not just functional or sustainable, but one that was transformative
“As we move forward fully, integrating NELFUND processes with institutional systems and standards, let us remember at the heart of all of this is a student, a young Nigerian with dreams, with ambition, and the courage to pursue them. Everything we do must serve that student.
“The only way to make it happen is by working together, listening to one another, and staying grounded in real-world challenges. I encourage you all to engage fully today share what’s working and what is not, and together let’s build something that lasts.”
NELFUND ‘s Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Iyal Mustapha, disclosed that apart from the 320,000 students who have so far been paid, more verifications are currently ongoing.
Mustapha, who explained that the failure of not having the number of registered students tally with the number of students whose application process was deemed successful was from the part of students and not NELFUND, said there was an urgent need to bridge the gap.
He also disclosed that the FUND was considering connecting directly to institution’s portal to get the data they need, and how student could apply to their institutions portal without necessarily reaching out to NELFUND.
“One other thing that we’re trying to do going forward is to send some of our IT to all the institutions so that we can see how possible it is we connect directly to your portal instead of saying please send us data. How can we connect using an API which makes it easier to get the data of any student coming to us directly from your portal and not from our portal. So we don’t need to be collecting any data again.
“At the same time, we’re thinking of seeing how is it possible that a student can apply to your portal without coming to us. So it makes it so easy for the student when they’re doing registration, when they’re doing payments, they can select either to apply for NELFUND loans and the process will go through your portal. So you have all the data without ever reaching to NELFUND. All we need is for you to give assurance these are your students and if we have that, we pay you directly. It makes it simpler and faster for all the students.”
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