The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has congratulated the Aliko Dangote Foundation on the launch of its N100 billion annual education scholarship initiative, describing it as a landmark private sector intervention in Nigeria’s education space. The initiative, which will run for ten years, is expected to support more than 1.3 million Nigerian students across public secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
The scholarship programme was unveiled in Lagos in the presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event. NELFUND said the initiative aligns with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his commitment to expanding access to quality education for every Nigerian child through collaborative efforts.
In a statement, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, commended the Aliko Dangote Foundation for what he described as visionary leadership and strong alignment with the Federal Government’s ongoing education reforms.
“On behalf of NELFUND, we applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for championing collaborative solutions that strengthen our education system,” Mr. Sawyerr said.
He noted that the Dangote Foundation’s N100 billion annual scholarship scheme directly supports the President’s agenda of removing financial barriers that limit access to education and empowering young Nigerians with the skills needed for national development.
Mr. Sawyerr added that the decade long commitment of the Foundation, which targets public secondary schools, public tertiary institutions, and includes a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, will significantly boost efforts to widen access to education financing nationwide.
He further emphasized NELFUND’s willingness to work with the Dangote Foundation and other government partners to ensure the programme achieves maximum impact.
“NELFUND stands ready to engage, support, and work collaboratively to maximise the reach and effectiveness of this programme,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that no Nigerian is denied educational opportunity due to financial constraints.”
NELFUND reaffirmed that strong partnerships between government, the private sector and development stakeholders remain critical to building a resilient and inclusive education ecosystem in Nigeria.
