The Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (Uniport), Prof. Owunari Georgewill, has attributed the low participation in the Nigerian student loan scheme within the South-South and South-East regions to cultural resistance toward borrowing.
Speaking at a Strategic Engagement and Sensitisation Campaign organised by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Georgewill said that many families in these regions are reluctant to associate their children with loans—even when they are interest-free.
“Despite our advocacy efforts, the term ‘loan’ is discouraging students from applying for the scheme,” he said. “We should consider branding it as a ‘repayable grant,’ which may be more culturally acceptable and encourage greater participation.”
The vice chancellor emphasized that this cultural mindset continues to hinder the uptake of the scheme, even as the federal government works to make tertiary education more accessible through financial support.
Addressing recent allegations of fraud involving the student loan scheme, Georgewill dismissed them as baseless, asserting that Uniport has maintained a clean record since the programme’s inception. He noted that the university charges one of the lowest tuition fees among federal institutions—N78,000 per year—making it more affordable for many families without needing loans.
Despite this, only about 1,800 students out of Uniport’s 40,000 student population currently benefit from the scheme.
David Bariereka, a former National Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), echoed the VC’s remarks, affirming that Uniport had never been linked to any misappropriation of NELFUND funds.
Speaking at the event, NELFUND Managing Director, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr—represented by Dr. Zino Ugboma, Director of Administration—reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparency. He warned that media sensationalism and misinformation could undermine the integrity of what is intended to be a transformative initiative for Nigerian students.
“The system isn’t perfect, but we’re working tirelessly to ensure it functions as effectively as possible,” Sawyerr said. “Sabotage and misinformation can derail this critical national programme.”
He also revealed that student interest in the programme at Uniport had increased significantly, with 4,000 students now registered on the NELFUND portal—making it the institution with the highest number of registrants in Rivers State.
Nationally, over 600,000 students have signed up for the programme, according to NELFUND data.
As part of its ongoing awareness efforts, NELFUND officials also visited Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port Harcourt to further promote the loan scheme.
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