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NELFUND Blames Institutions’ Slow Verification for Student Loan Delays

NELFUND Blames Institutions’ Slow Verification for Student Loan Delays

Funmi Ogundare 

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has cautioned that delays in student loan disbursements are largely due to slow verification and approval of applications by tertiary institutions.

The Director, Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, in a statement, revealed that many prospective beneficiaries have lodged complaints, expressing concern that their institutions’ sluggish turnaround time is preventing them from accessing tuition fees and upkeep allowances on schedule.

She urged institutions to prioritise and speed up the verification of successfully completed and submitted applications.  

“Timely approval is critical to ensuring students receive their funds when due.”

In a related development, NELFUND has announced the relocation of its headquarters to a permanent office at House 12, Plot 103/104, Monrovia Street, Wuse 2, Opposite Bon Hotel, Abuja, effective September 5, 2025. 

Oluwatuyi, who noted that all correspondence, visits and enquiries are to be directed to the new address, assured stakeholders that the move will not disrupt operations. 

“NELFUND remains fully operational and committed to its mandate of providing affordable education loans and support to Nigerian students across the country,” she said. Official communication channels remain unchanged: X (Twitter): @nelfund

Instagram: @nelfund; Facebook and LinkedIn; Nigerian Education Loan Fund – NELFUND, Website: www.nelf.gov.ng.

“We appreciate your trust and continued support as we work to expand access to higher education financing nationwide,” the director stated.

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Funmi Ogundare  The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has cautioned that delays in student loan disbursements are largely due to slow verification and approval of applications by tertiary institutions. The
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Expert Advocates Adoption of Practical Governance for Safe, Competitive AI

Expert Advocates Adoption of Practical Governance for Safe, Competitive AI

Funmi Ogundare 

A Social Impact Strategist and AI Governance Advocate, Chidozie Managwu, has stressed the need for countries to embrace practical governance frameworks that balance safety with innovation if they want to remain competitive in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Managwu, who explained that rigid regulations or a laissez-faire approach would fail, insisted on a layered governance model that builds public trust while accelerating innovation. “The way forward is layered governance that builds trust and accelerates innovation,” he said.

He explained that rules should be proportionate to risk, high-stakes applications such as clinical decision support and biometric identification demands strict testing and monitoring, while lower-risk uses can advance with lighter oversight. “Controls must be matched to the potential for harm rather than to hype,” he said.

The strategist also urged governments to prioritise outcomes over prescriptive technology rules, recommending transparency, auditability and post-deployment safety reporting to ensure accountability. 

He emphasised that markets alone cannot provide the safety infrastructure AI needs, calling for public investment in model evaluation platforms, red-team testing suites and synthetic data labs.

To avoid fragmented rules that advantage only large corporations, Managwu advocated harmonised international standards. 

He also linked governance to workforce development, warning that policies without skilled talent are ineffective, as he proposed reskilling, apprenticeships and partnerships between industry and communities to grow the AI talent base.

For policymaking, he suggested risk-tiering, mandatory post-deployment monitoring, national safety infrastructure and procurement policies that reward responsible innovation.

“If done well, the benefits compound,” he said. “Public trust rises, safe technologies spread faster, and ecosystems attract talent and capital.”

The leaders, he noted, will be those who govern for real outcomes rather than appearances, building systems that protect people, reward responsible innovators and strengthen national competitiveness.

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Funmi Ogundare  A Social Impact Strategist and AI Governance Advocate, Chidozie Managwu, has stressed the need for countries to embrace practical governance frameworks that balance safety with innovation if they
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NASENI Unveils N250m Innovate Naija Challenge for Young  Innovators

NASENI Unveils N250m Innovate Naija Challenge for Young  Innovators

Sunday Ehigiator
 

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched InnovateNaija, Nigeria’s biggest innova-tion competition, with a prize pool of N250 million to support homegrown inventions in science, engineering, and manufacturing.

The initiative, backed by the Presidency, the NASENI Innovation Hub, and AfriLabs, will officially kick off today, September 4, 2025, at the GITEX Nigeria 10x Stage, Landmark Event Centre, Lagos. Designed to inspire and showcase the nation’s brightest minds, InnovateNaija will identify and fund transformative ideas capable of addressing Nigeria’s unique challenges and advancing technological growth.

Under the scheme, 37 state-level winners — one from each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT — will be selected through public voting. Each will receive a N2.5 million grant to develop their innovations. The top 15 will progress to the grand finale at the NASENI Invention Fest in Abuja, February 2026, where they will pitch their solutions before expert judges and stakeholders. The overall winner will walk away with N100 million in funding.

Beyond the competition, NASENI also announced the pre-launch of its Innovation Hub in Abuja, aimed at bridging the support gap for innovators by providing infrastructure, mentorship, capacity building, and funding opportunities.

Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Khalil Sulaiman Halilu, said the challenge reflects the agency’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for innovation to thrive.

“The InnovateNaija Challenge is an incredible opportunity, offering funding to 37 outstanding youths to bring their ideas to life. The NASENI Innovation Hub will nurture these sparks into scalable solutions, advancing Nigeria’s technological capabilities,” he stated.

Executive Director of AfriLabs, Anna Ekeledo, described the initiative as a boost to Africa’s innovation ecosystem.

“By empowering innovators across all states in Nigeria, this competition not only fuels creativity but also strengthens the innovation ecosystem. We are excited to support NASENI in spotlighting Nigerian ingenuity,” she said.

The three-month competition is expected to drive participation nationwide, positioning Nigeria as a hub for grassroots innovation in Africa.

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Sunday Ehigiator  The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has launched InnovateNaija, Nigeria’s biggest innova-tion competition, with a prize pool of N250 million to support homegrown inventions in
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