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NEWSAN trains members on budget tracking for sanitation policies implementation

Published

5 years ago

September 4, 2020

By Mustapha Suleiman

As part of efforts to improve access to potable water and sanitation in the country, the Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) has trained its members on budget tracking and holding tiers of government accountable for non-implementation.

This was disclosed by NEWSAN National Coordinator, Mr Benson Attah at a workshop held in Abuja.

Attah stressed the need for its members to contribute their quota in holding local, state and federal government accountable in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.

Attah noted that building capacity of its members would strengthen partnerships in the implementation of water and sanitation projects across the country, just as he urged states CSOs to monitor governance and also find legal backing for WASH interventions and formulation of state road-maps for ending open defecation practices in their localities.

“We have come to realise that part of the factors contributing to the poor implementation of the water and sanitation programe is due poor accountability at both the federal, states and local government levels.

“We have seen instances where boreholes were dug and they had to use water tankers to fill the overhead tank for its commissioning.

“Some projects as soon as they were commissioned collapsed due to the use of inferior materials and such communities never benefited from such projects.

“We have seen cases where contractors were given money to build sanitation facilities, toilets in schools and they were not completed and left abandoned with open-suck away pits”.

He noted that these issues further contributed to the underdevelopment of the citizens, adding that water and sanitation were an entry point to development, health, education, commerce among others.

While commending its partners, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) for supporting its activities, Attah said lack of transparency at different levels, limits the extent to which partners can hold each other to account for mutual commitments.

He said there was the need for the three tier of governments to see that access to water and sanitation were improved upon, adding that stakeholders ought not to compromise in achieving better livelihood for the populace.

Earlier, Mr Emmanuel Awe, Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, noted that it was worrisome that only 11 per cent of the population had access to (WASH) services nationwide.

Awe said although the Federal Government had demonstrated high political will to improve access to WASH facilities through its numerous programmes, but more needs to be done in the states if Nigeria is ready to meet its targets.

Dr Elizabeth Jeiyol, National Coordinator, WSSCC Nigeria, said it was imperative that a sustainable system be instituted and supported by the government to encourage CSO engagement for effective WASH governance, saying without governance, WASH services remain unsustainable.

She said,“CSOs need platforms to build capacity and resources to carry out crucial role by holding policymakers accountable and ensuring that budgets are spent and policies are formulated within the right context and sustainability.’’

He called on governments to create enabling environment to support and engage CSOs in policy formulation through access to state structures for citizen participation and attainment of SDGs targets in Nigeria.

In her good will message, the national coordinator, Water Supply And Sanitation Collaborative Council, Elizabeth N. Jeiyol, at the workshop commended the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to be part of the training, which according to her, is in consonance with the objectives of the WSSCC to achieve sanitation and hygiene leaving no one behind.

She noted that interacting with the public and private sectors and strengthening capacity building for CSOs for rapid WASH policy assessment, advocacy, mutual accountability mechanism (MAM), and WASH governance is crucial in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to her, this will boost stakeholder engagement and participation in ensuring universal access to water and sanitation services.

Speaking on the essence of the workshop, she said it will help build technical capacity to analyze policy, track budgets, and engage with the government and donors through advocacy.

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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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