By Felix Khanoba
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has expressed concern over the low number of student loan applications coming from Rivers State University.
This concern was raised during a Strategic Engagement and Sensitisation Campaign held on Tuesday in Port Harcourt. Speaking at the event, NELFUND’s Managing Director, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr—represented by the Director of Administration, Dr. Zino Ugboma—highlighted troubling disparities in student registration for the government-backed loan initiative.
Sawyerr explained that while the primary goal of the visit was to strengthen the Fund’s relationship with the university, an internal review of application data painted a concerning picture.
“Going through our records, we discovered something that is not too pleasant in relation to your university. For a university, we have up to 4,000 applicants, people who have registered to this team.
“At the University of Port Harcourt, we have up to 3,000 people who have registered to this team. And then for Rivers State University, we have approximately 1,500 applicants.
“For this reason, the managing director has asked that we come here and have a talk with the university management,” he said.
He stressed the need for more robust engagement between the Fund and the institution to uncover the causes of the low figures.
“We want to know what the problem is, the money is there. It’s meant to be disbursed to these young people. Let us work together to solve this,” he added.
In response, Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi—represented by Prof. Victor Akujuru, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration)—acknowledged the disparity and pledged to work closely with NELFUND to address the issues raised.
“We are again grateful for flagging our university’s situation and for taking the time to look in on us to find out why we are lagging behind.
“I must admit that the figures are quite a difference, 1,500 out of a nearly 40,000 student capacity is a concern.
“In a show of readiness to confront the problem, the Vice Chancellor had specifically requested the attendance of the Director of ICT and the head of student affairs.
“Their presence is a signal of the university’s preparedness to both explain the challenges and seek solutions,” he affirmed.
Professor Sunny Orike, Director of ICT at the university, attributed the shortfall to the complexity of the application process, noting that many students were unable to complete all necessary steps.
“We communicate and share ideas on our platform. We’ve designated a space in the city centre where students can come in and engage with our systems.
“And we are committed to making that experience seamless, consistent, and accessible,” he said.
He further explained that the ICT unit is developing a more structured system to guide students through the process and provide real-time support.
“We don’t want them doing it alone. We’re planning to tag students, assist with form applications, and ensure compliance with all steps—memo issuance, communication, and follow-through,” he said.
Orike also emphasized the importance of ongoing training and compliance, calling for enhanced capacity among both students and staff as the university transitions toward a more digital infrastructure.
Also speaking, President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Rizi Owabie, reaffirmed the union’s commitment to supporting the initiative and pledged to increase outreach efforts.
Owabie noted that the union had already been spreading awareness through various channels including events and one-on-one engagements, adding that further efforts would be made to promote student participation in the loan programme.
