There is fresh relief and renewed optimism for 1,125 students of Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, following the disbursement of ₦126.07 million by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) towards their school fees for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The significant intervention, made on July 24, 2026, was formally acknowledged by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Allen A. Agih, in an official letter to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr.
In the letter, the Vice-Chancellor confirmed that the university received ₦126,070,000 in support of the school-fee obligations of the 1,125 beneficiaries.
Prof. Agih, on behalf of the university management, expressed sincere appreciation to NELFUND for its continued support and commitment to advancing education and institutional development.
The development is more than another disbursement figure. For the affected students and their families, the intervention provides meaningful financial relief and removes a major barrier that could otherwise disrupt their academic journey.
By settling approved institutional charges for the verified beneficiaries, NELFUND is helping students remain in school, concentrate on their studies and pursue their academic ambitions with greater confidence.
The NDU development further illustrates the growing footprint of the Federal Government’s student-loan initiative, which has rapidly evolved into a major intervention in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
At the centre of the expansion is NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, whose leadership has continued to drive the Fund’s digital transformation, institutional verification, application processing and disbursement of student financing across participating institutions.
The latest figures underline the scale of that expansion. As of August 2026, NELFUND had processed more than 1.6 million applications, with total reported disbursements exceeding ₦322 billion nationwide.
The growing intervention reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of reducing financial barriers to tertiary education and ensuring that lack of immediate financial capacity does not prevent qualified Nigerian students from pursuing higher education.
From institutional fee payments to upkeep support, NELFUND is increasingly providing students with practical assistance at a time when the cost of education and living continues to place pressure on families.
For the 1,125 students of Niger Delta University, the ₦126.07 million disbursement is therefore not merely a government payment—it is a timely intervention that offers relief, protects their academic journey and gives fresh meaning to the promise of Renewed Hope.
NELFUND continues its nationwide expansion under Sawyerr’s stewardship, and the NDU disbursement stands as another example of how the student-loan initiative is translating government policy into tangible support for Nigerian students.