NELFUND to Fund Vocational Training as Part of National Skills Development Plan

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has revealed plans to expand its student loan scheme to include vocational training and skills acquisition programmes. The Managing Director of NELFUND Akintunde Sawyerr made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja. He explained that the expansion aligns with the Federal Government’s broader agenda to strengthen education and skills development nationwide. Sawyerr said the initiative reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to building inclusive human capital that goes beyond conventional university pathways.

He stressed that national progress cannot rely only on academic thinkers as countries also depend on individuals who work with their hands, energy, strength and practical skills to bring innovative ideas to life. Sawyerr noted that although NELFUND initially focused on supporting students in tertiary institutions since its introduction, the Fund is now preparing to widen access to Nigerians enrolled in vocational and technical programmes across the country.

He added that Nigeria’s next stage of development requires a blend of academic knowledge and technical capability. Sawyerr said NELFUND has a mandate to cover vocational training and even though the expansion has not commenced, the Tinubu administration has ensured full attention to the national skills agenda. He highlighted that the Ministry of Youth Development is driving youth-focused skills programmes, the Ministry of Education is involved in technical capacity building and the Ministry of Digital Economy is strengthening IT and soft skills training.

Sawyerr emphasised that skills development is now a shared priority across multiple government bodies. He explained that practical competence remains essential, noting that an engineer who can build is more valuable than an engineer who only designs. He described Nigeria’s current phase as a design build and operate era where technical execution is as important as theory.