Former Delta State Governor and former Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged parents, guardians and community leaders across the country to intensify awareness of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying lack of information should not deprive students of access to financial support for their education.

Okowa said many Nigerian families were still unaware of the opportunities available under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, stressing that parents had a critical role to play in educating their children and guiding eligible students through the application process.

He expressed concern that some students facing financial difficulties might be forced to abandon their education simply because their parents could not afford the rising cost of tertiary education.

The former governor’s call followed indications that fewer than 100 students at Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic in Delta State may have applied for NELFUND support, despite the financial challenges confronting many students in the institution and surrounding communities.

Okowa described the situation as worrying, urging parents, political leaders, community stakeholders and youth organisations to ensure that students were adequately informed about the scheme and its benefits.

He said, “If an opportunity exists to support our children’s education, why should they abandon school simply because their parents cannot afford the cost? We must ensure that eligible students know about NELFUND and are properly guided to access the support available to them.”

Okowa stressed that greater awareness was particularly important at the grassroots, where inadequate access to information could prevent students from benefiting from government interventions designed to keep them in school.

He also called on the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the ruling party, to take ownership of the awareness campaign by using its structures across wards, local government areas and communities to educate young Nigerians about NELFUND and other education-related initiatives.

According to him, party leaders, ward executives, youth leaders and community stakeholders could serve as important channels for disseminating information and helping students understand how to access legitimate government programmes.

Okowa warned that failure to address financial barriers to education could have wider social consequences, noting that young people who are unable to continue their education because of hardship could become vulnerable to drug abuse, criminality and other social vices.

He said keeping young Nigerians in school should therefore be regarded as both an educational and national development priority.

“Education is an investment in the future, and every genuine opportunity that enables our young people to remain in school must be embraced and properly explained,” Okowa said.

He called on parents and guardians not only to inform their children about NELFUND but also to actively support them in understanding the eligibility requirements and application process, while encouraging beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly.

The former Delta governor further urged community and political leaders to take the awareness campaign beyond urban centres to rural communities, saying students in villages and underserved areas should not be left behind because of information gaps.

He said the message on NELFUND should reach every level of society, “from the cities to the villages, from the local government areas to the wards, and from the wards to every community and household.”

Okowa maintained that expanding awareness of the student loan scheme would help more Nigerian youths pursue tertiary education despite financial constraints and ultimately contribute to building a more educated and productive workforce.

He therefore urged all stakeholders to work collectively to ensure that eligible students were aware of NELFUND and could take advantage of the opportunity to pursue their educational aspirations.