The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has received an Award of Excellence in Educational Transformation and Youth Empowerment from the Arewa Female Students Association (AFSA) in recognition of his leadership and contributions to expanding access to education in Nigeria.
Four AFSA members from tertiary institutions across Northern Nigeria presented the award during a courtesy visit to NELFUND headquarters in Abuja on Monday, October 12, 2026.
During the visit, the association commended NELFUND’s digitised and transparent student loan system, which provides direct payment of institutional fees to schools and monthly upkeep allowances to eligible students.
In its citation, AFSA highlighted the impact of the student loan scheme, citing figures of more than 1.2 million applications and over N154billion disbursed to 788,947 students across 262 institutions within the first 19 months of the programme. The citation also referenced more recent reports indicating that disbursements had exceeded N174billion, benefiting more than 800,000 students across 263 institutions.
The association further praised Mr. Sawyerr’s stance against arbitrary tuition fee increases and his insistence that institutions refund students who had paid their fees before loan disbursements were made. It also recognised NELFUND’s sensitisation efforts involving traditional rulers, state governments and tertiary institutions, particularly the programme’s contribution to promoting girl-child education in Northern Nigeria.
Speaking during the presentation, Mr. Sawyerr expressed appreciation to AFSA for the recognition and commended the young women for their interest in educational development.
He urged the students to remain focused on their academic pursuits, emphasising that educating the girl-child is essential to national development. He stressed that no girl should be denied access to education because of financial difficulties.
The NELFUND Chief Executive also encouraged the students to emulate accomplished women leaders, work hard and aspire to leadership positions in their chosen fields.
He reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to ensuring that students, particularly female students in Northern Nigeria, can access educational loans and complete their studies without financial barriers.
As part of the engagement, AFSA proposed areas of collaboration with NELFUND, including expanded sensitisation campaigns for female students in Northern tertiary institutions, financial literacy programmes for loan beneficiaries, and internship and capacity-building opportunities for its members.
The association also advocated special support for indigent female students and students with disabilities to promote inclusive access to higher education.
The proposed areas of collaboration align with ongoing digital policy and inclusion initiatives, creating opportunities for further engagement between NELFUND, AFSA and relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Sawyerr emphasised a step towards strengthening cooperation between the student association and NELFUND in advancing educational access, youth empowerment and inclusive development across Nigeria.