Nigeria’s NELFUND has disbursed over N282 billion to 1.5 million students across 288 tertiary institutions as the Federal Government calls for AI and coding adoption.
The federal government directed Nigerian students on Friday to acquire skills in artificial intelligence, coding, robotics, and cybersecurity, citing the need to position Nigeria in the global knowledge economy through active digital participation and innovation.
The call came at the Renewed Hope Students’ Engagement and Digital Acceleration Program for the South-East Zone, held at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where selected students received laptop computers to promote digital learning and entrepreneurship.
Officials of the federal government, student leaders, academics, innovators, and development partners attended the event to discuss youth empowerment, digital transformation, and education financing under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Dr. Kingsley Udeh, represented by Dr. Ijeoma Eze, Public Relations Officer of the Projects Development Institute, told the gathering that Nigeria must invest heavily in technology to compete globally.
According to Dr. Udeh, the Tinubu administration is committed to transforming Nigeria into “a globally competitive, innovation-driven, and technology-powered economy” through education and digital development programs across all geopolitical zones.
Dr. Udeh listed NELFUND, HOPE-EDU, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, NESRI, Universal Basic Education, and the Nigerian Learning Passport as active components of the federal government’s current education reform program.
“The future belongs to innovators, creators, problem-solvers, and entrepreneurs, not merely certificate holders,” the minister stated, challenging every student at the event to treat technology as a tool for national transformation rather than entertainment.
“Learn coding. Master artificial intelligence tools. Develop software and artificial intelligence innovative solutions. Acquire cybersecurity skills. Explore robotics. Create digital enterprises. Solve local problems using global technologies,” Dr. Udeh added in a direct address to students gathered at the Enugu Campus.
Dr. Udeh also disclosed that the federal government had recently launched the third phase of the YouthCred initiative, designed to provide collateral-free loans of between N200,000 and N2 million to 500,000 young entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
Sunday Daya, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement, told the event that the Digital Acceleration Program was designed to deepen communication between the Tinubu administration and students while equipping young Nigerians with relevant digital skills.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that Nigerian students are not mere consumers of technology but creators of solutions, innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders who will drive the digital ecosystem,” Daya stated at the program on Friday.
NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr disclosed at the event that the fund had received 1.7 million loan applications to date, with approximately 1.5 million already processed and disbursed across 288 tertiary institutions nationwide.
Sawyerr broke down the N282bn disbursement, confirming that over N183 billion went directly to tertiary institutions as tuition fees, while nearly N98 billion was released to individual students across Nigeria as upkeep allowances.
Addressing what he described as low uptake from the South East, Sawyerr told attendees: “The attitude to loans may be a little bit different, but people don’t really understand that this loan is interest-free. Nobody is coming after you for the loan.”
Sawyerr clarified that repayment does not begin until a beneficiary secures employment and that if a beneficiary subsequently loses that job, repayment obligations cease automatically, with the employer responsible for remitting ten percent of salary when applicable.
He also stated that no NELFUND beneficiary would be barred from traveling abroad for further education or employment as a result of holding the loan, directly addressing concerns that have circulated among prospective applicants in the Southeast.
Plans are underway, through collaboration between the National Assembly and NELFUND, to expand coverage from the current 1.5 million beneficiaries to approximately seven million by incorporating vocational institutions and skills acquisition centers into the scheme.
Sawyerr acknowledged that the program continues to face public scrutiny over issues relating to refunds and institutional fee structures, even as the federal government presses ahead with AI adoption drives and student loan expansion under NELFUND.
