The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, has revealed that more male students apply for the Federal Government’s student loans than their female counterparts.

Sawyerr made this revelation while speaking at the NELFUND Women Forum Programme that was held to commemorate the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) held in Abuja on Monday.

The NELFUND’s Head of Investments and Funds Management, Oluwatosin Sanusi, represented him at the event.

He said, “The NELFUND initiative is all about providing loans for students in tertiary institutions to pay for their fees and to take care of their welfare.

“Currently, we have a ratio of 4 to 1, which means for every four male applicants, we have just one female, which isn’t impressive.”

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He further noted that the agency was collaborating with women stakeholders to increase awareness of student loans among female students in a bid to address their low participation.

Also present at the event was the National President of Female Students of Nigeria, Choice Enebeli.

Enebeli advocated for equal access to education and opportunities for both genders.

“Women’s rights are human rights, and we must continue to strive for a world where women and girls have equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and leadership positions,” said Enebeli.