Education

Nigeria’s Intervention Paying Dividends in Our Education Sector-Prof.Gomez,Gambian Minister for Higher Education

Published

3 months ago

February 27, 2025

Joel Ajayi

Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of The Gambia,Prof.Pierre Gomez has conveyed the gratitude of the Government of The Gambia to the Federal Government of Nigeria, saying Nigeria’s intervention in the education sector of their country is paying dividends.

The Minister,who disclosed, Wednesday, during a visit to the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps in Abuja,how pleased the President of their country is at the glaring impact of the injection of some Engineering Professors of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps into the running of the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET) of The Gambia,also revealed that the Nigerian Professors have changed the narrative in the country’s higher education with regards to skills, innovation and enterprise development,such that enrollment at the USET has increased from 47 to over 200 in the last academic season.

While commending the professional astuteness of the TAC Volunteers currently serving in The Gambia,Prof. Gomez informed that the Engineering Professors were championing a new wave of thinking out of the box that are aimed at fashioning out self- funding initiatives for Universities that had , hitherto ,depended solely on government’s subvention.

The Minister,who also informed of the establishment of a new University of Education in his country, said they had looked towards the direction of Nigeria to help in fostering the University into a place of excellence,since all Universities must be seen as places of excellence and Nigeria has all it takes to foster such demands.

He also added that apart from coming to demonstrate appreciation to Nigeria,the delegation specifically had another reason for the visit.He said:
“Today we are here again to request the help of our big brother, Nigeria.This is because your Volunteers have performed greatly well in our country. The great dynamism they have brought into our country’s higher education is changing narratives everywhere and we cannot but request for more hands to mentor our teachers and administrators to get things right.

“You gave us all we needed before. The Engineering Professors you gave to our country are more than anyone can ever ask in terms of their productivity and results on ground. But here we are again,we are begging your professionals to come and mentor our people in the area of Education,a different area from what the Engineers are already doing.”

While assuring the people of The Gambia of the continuous support of Nigeria in the area of her educational needs,the Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps,Rt.Hon.Yusuf Buba Yakub said the whole idea of NTAC was to fill such gaps among brother nations in the ACP countries.

He congratulated the Government and people of The Gambia on the roles Prof.Gomez has continued to play to make better the higher education sector of the country,adding that the new University of Education would aid in no small way in producing the needed crop of teachers that would deepen education and research in the West African nation.

Buba pledged to immediately set in motion the process of offering the requested assistance to The Gambia in the weeks ahead, stressing that the impact of today’s decision on the country ‘s teaching and learning needs would reverberate positively in the sector in the next twenty years.

Among those who were part of the Minister’s delegation were:Dr.Alieu B.Senghore, Chairman of the University of Education,The Gambia;Mr.Aboubacarr Jallow,Provost of the University,as well as Mr.Siaka Saidilzigh,a Principal Assistant Secretary at the country’s Ministry of Higher Education and Mr.Babucarr Dumbuya,First Secretary at the High Commission of The Gambia in Abuja.

From the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps were the Director of Programmes at the Agency,Amb.Zakari Usman and Mr.Lawandy Bala, Special Assistant to the Director General on Protocol Matters,among others.

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Education

NELFUND assures students of smart system to improve loan access

Published

4 weeks ago

May 7, 2025

The Gleamer

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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