NELFUND HAS COME TO STAY, ASUU STRIKE IS GONE FOR GOOD – HON. PRINCESS GLORIA AKOBUNDU TELLS WOMEN

NELFUND HAS COME TO STAY, ASUU STRIKE IS GONE FOR GOOD – HON. PRINCESS GLORIA AKOBUNDU TELLS WOMEN

Hon. Princess Gloria Akobundu Phd, fsi has declared that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has come to stay and that the era of prolonged ASUU strikes is over for good, urging women across the country to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), vote the All Progressives Congress (APC), and re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for continued welfare programmes and expanded benefits.

Speaking during an interactive session with women groups in Abuja, the APC chieftain and women empowerment advocate said the Tinubu administration’s introduction of NELFUND represents a historic shift in higher education financing in Nigeria.

According to her, the scheme has removed the heavy burden of school fees from struggling parents and put an end to the disruptive cycle of industrial actions that previously grounded universities for months.

She cited available data showing the scale of the intervention. Since the launch of the student loan portal in May 2024, NELFUND has disbursed over ₦372 billion to support students in public tertiary institutions nationwide.

Of this amount, approximately ₦192.89 billion has been paid directly to institutions as tuition and institutional fees, while about ₦179.73 billion has been released to students as upkeep allowances.

More than 1.65 million applications have been processed, with hundreds of thousands of students already benefiting across over 300 public universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and related institutions.

“NELFUND has come to stay. The days of ASUU strike holding our children and the education system hostage are gone for good,” Princess Akobundu stated.

“Look at the figures: over ₦372 billion already disbursed, institutions paid, students receiving upkeep. This is real impact. This is one of the most far-reaching welfare interventions of the present administration, and it must be sustained and expanded.”

She noted that the interest-free student loan scheme has begun transforming access to tertiary education, especially for children from low-income and middle-class homes, by covering both institutional charges and living expenses.

The programme, she said, has given hope to families who previously faced the painful choice of withdrawing their children from school or watching them lose academic years to strikes.

Princess Akobundu charged women to treat PVC collection as a priority, stressing that voting power remains the strongest tool for protecting and expanding these gains.

She reminded them that the re-election of President Tinubu would guarantee continuity of programmes such as NELFUND, women empowerment initiatives, and other social intervention schemes targeted at families and communities.

“Women must collect their PVCs, vote APC, and re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Only continuity will bring more welfare packages, more opportunities for our children, and more benefits for Nigerian families,” she said.

“When our sons and daughters are in school without the fear of sudden fee hikes or endless strikes, every mother sleeps better. That is the difference this administration is making.”

The APC leader further urged women leaders and grassroots mobilisers to intensify voter education and ensure that no eligible woman is left without a PVC ahead of the next general elections.

She described the current administration’s focus on education financing, economic reforms, and social protection as clear evidence that the APC remains the party best positioned to deliver sustainable development and people-centred policies.

Princess Akobundu expressed confidence that with the full participation of women, the APC would consolidate its gains and deepen the impact of its interventions in the years ahead.