The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, has assured that the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike will not affect the agency’s operations.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Sawyerr expressed confidence that ongoing negotiations led by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, would produce fair and positive outcomes.
“We don’t want to see students negatively affected in any way.
“We must stay close to the discussions and monitor how they unfold before making firm pronouncements, ” he said.
Sawyerr emphasised that NELFUND’s core objective is to ensure students’ access to financial support, remains intact despite the industrial action.
“Even though the strike has commenced, what the Federal Government has done with NELFUND is to put in place a scheme that addresses some of the issues in education,” he said.
NELFUND had, over the weekend, reopened its loan application portal for a final window to allow institutions complete pending student verification exercises.
According to Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director of Strategic Communications at the Fund, the portal was accessible from midnight Sunday, October 12, to midnight Tuesday, October 14.
The temporary reopening was to ensure all eligible students are verified as part of the ongoing 2024/2025 academic loan cycle.
Sawyerr noted that NELFUND would continue to operate under the direction of the Ministry of Education and would take further steps based on the minister’s guidance.
“As of today, (the strike) will not affect upkeep. We are seeking guidance from the Honourable Minister, who is our leader in this regard, ” stated.
He further stated that NELFUND remains committed to complementing the Federal Government’s broader efforts to reform and sustain the education sector.
“This is all part of a package to ensure education must work in Nigeria,” he added.
ASUU, meanwhile, has rejected the Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ directive, maintaining its stance on the two-week nationwide warning strike.
ASUU President Chris Piwuna said on Monday that the union would not yield to pressure or threats, accusing the government of trying to divide academic unions.
The Federal Government, through a circular signed by the Minister of Education, directed universities to implement the no-pay policy and begin headcounts of working staff.
The outcome of ongoing negotiations remains uncertain.
