The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has reassured stakeholders that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will not disrupt its operations.
On Tuesday, during a live interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, NELFUND’s Managing Director and CEO, Akintunde Sawyerr, expressed optimism that the ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and ASUU, led by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, would yield a fair and positive resolution.
He highlighted that the strike had just commenced and praised the commendable leadership of the Education Minister in steering discussions forward. He noted that NELFUND recently extended the reopening of its loan application portal to allow students from tertiary institutions who have not yet completed their verification to do so. The portal was accessible from midnight on Sunday, October 12, to midnight on Tuesday, October 14, to ensure all eligible students are properly captured and verified as part of the 2024/2025 loan application process.
The Managing Director affirmed NELFUND’s confidence that the Ministry’s plans are fair and equitable and assured that the ASUU strike would not impact the agency’s ongoing operations. He explained that the Federal Government has implemented a scheme through NELFUND designed to address various challenges in the education sector.
“We don’t believe this strike should jeopardize what has been set in motion,” Sawyerr said. He added that while NELFUND’s funding supports students directly, other education concerns are being addressed under the Ministry’s leadership.
Emphasizing the importance of ensuring students do not suffer adverse effects from the strike, Sawyerr stated that the agency is closely monitoring the situation and awaiting guidance from the Minister of Education before making further statements about potential impacts.
“We are committed to ensuring that students are protected,” Sawyerr said. “We rely on advice from the Honourable Minister to navigate how we move forward given the developments.”
He further noted that, as part of the current government’s efforts, NELFUND is focused on complementing broader initiatives aimed at sustaining education in Nigeria.“I will reserve further comments until I hear from the Minister on the best course of action,” Sawyerr concluded, affirming that the agency’s operations remain unaffected for now.
The update comes amid ASUU’s firm rejection of the Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ directive, with ASUU President Chris Piwuna declaring that the union will not be intimidated by threats.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Piwuna emphasized the union’s unity and resistance against government pressure, supported by other academic bodies including the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA). The Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy was announced in a circular signed by the Education Minister on October 13, urging universities to enforce salary suspensions for lecturers involved in the ongoing two-week warning strike. The government expressed discontent over ASUU’s decision to strike despite ongoing talks and called for adherence to labour laws in enforcing the directive.
