The South East caucus of the National Assembly has expressed concerns over the exclusion of tertiary institutions from the zone in the ongoing disbursement of students’ loans by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
The lawmakers stated that despite N2.95bn being disbursed to 27,667 students across 19 institutions nationwide, none of the recipients hail from South East universities or colleges.
NELFUND has attributed this development to the lack of response from Southeast institutions to its request to verify student lists, a necessary step before disbursements can be made.
The agency noted that while verification requests were sent to all schools, those in the South East have yet to comply, resulting in the absence of their students on the loan beneficiaries list.
In response, the South East caucus, in a statement on Sunday signed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and Igariwey Enwo, urged the region’s tertiary institutions to promptly fulfill the verification requirements.
They emphasised the importance of ensuring that students from the South East benefit from the federal initiative, which is designed to ease financial burdens and improve access to higher education.
The statement read, “We also wish to encourage all South East students who need this support to ensure they apply.
“This is important as it can help ameliorate some of the challenges limiting access to higher education, which we must all agree is critical to self-development and growth.
“It is important that as a people, we do not intentionally marginalise ourselves from opportunities that are open to all Nigerians.
“Those opportunities are our right and we must, like others, demand for what rightfully belongs to us.”
The caucus also encouraged all eligible South East students to apply for the loan, stressing that participation in such national programmes is crucial for self-development and growth.
The lawmakers further underscored the need for the South East to actively engage in and benefit from federal programmes to avoid inadvertent exclusion from opportunities that are available to other regions.
The call from the South East lawmakers highlights the ongoing challenges facing the region in accessing federal resources and underscores the importance of proactive engagement by institutions and individuals alike.
The National Assembly members reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that the South East does not miss out on any opportunities for development and advancement.