The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the expansion of its flagship loan programme to vocational skills centres to support Nigerians pursuing vocational training. 
 
The Fund disclosed that the programme, which would start with Enugu State, would be cascaded to all states of the country.  The Executive Director of Operations at NELFUND, Iyal Mustapha, stated this during a sensitisation campaign in Enugu on Friday.
 
The campaign tour included visits by the NELFUND management to the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu College of Education Technical, and the MSME Clinics Fashion and Garment Hub in Enugu.
 
Speaking, Mustapha said NELFUND aims to support vocational training through loans, helping individuals to access technical education at various skill centres, including fashion design and other trades.He said the plan includes covering training costs, providing upkeep support, and supplying tools after training.
 
He said the exact amount for upkeep was still being finalised, adding that institutional charges related to transport would be part of the loan. He also noted that NELFUND has expanded this initiative to over 10 states, with Enugu being a standout.
 
At the MSME Clinics Fashion and Garment Hub in Enugu, he said: “There’s a lot of positivity with what we see. We have seen different skill centres, from the technical colleges side and from the vocational skill centres, like the fashion design and all.
  
“It’s very positive for us at NELFUND, and Enugu will be one of the first states we’re going to start. I will not say that Enugu will be the only state, but one of the first states to start with. So, one of our mandates is to support vocational skills.
  
“Supporting vocational skills in a way is we are going to open our portal up for people to apply for vocational skills. And we are going to have these centres in place to say, if you apply from Enugu, this is where to go in Enugu.
  
“So, we are going to pay for their training costs, and we are going to be giving them upkeep at the end of the day. And they will have some working tools when they finish their training.
 
“Currently, we have other states; I think almost more than 10 states that we have seen such. But then Enugu is one of the best; let me just put it that way. And you know, it’s a work in progress, and the country is always evolving. And the government is seeing the value in skills.” 
 
Also speaking, Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Digital Economy and SME Development and Director General, Enugu SME Centre, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, said the state was ready to absorb all the support from NELFUND.
 
He said NELFUND would be able to provide the centre with zero-interest loans for training in fashion, noting that the hub has about 150 industrial sewing machines and world-class monogramming machines.
  
Acting Registrar of IMT, Patricia Nwanneka, said that by educating students on the procedures and benefits, more people would apply for the loan.