South East Students Will Benefit from Education Loan Fund, Says Igariwey

Hon. Enwo Igariwey, the member representing Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the Federal House of Representatives, has assured that students from the South East will not be excluded from the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund). This statement was made during a visit to Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) on Tuesday.

Igariwey, who also serves on the House Committee on Banking Regulations, emphasized that steps have been initiated alongside Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Leader of the South East Caucus of the National Assembly, to ensure that South East students benefit from the loan program.

He urged students to apply for the loan, stating, “We should embrace every programme of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because South East is a very important component of this country… If the students are expected to apply, let them apply before we start complaining that we are not benefiting from it.”

Igariwey expressed satisfaction with the CBN-funded Engineering Laboratory at ESUT but noted the importance of adequately equipping the facility to fulfill its intended purpose. He highlighted the role of engineering in sustainable development and the need to deploy science and technology to address the nation’s challenges.

ESUT’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, expressed surprise that South East students were not among the first beneficiaries of the NELFund despite completing the necessary verification process. Faculty staff, including Dr. Fidelis Inyiama, Chief Technologist, also cited challenges such as lack of electricity and water in the laboratory, which have hindered progress.