Abuja, Nigeria | Tuesday, September 16, 2025
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has called on the National Assembly to provide stronger backing for its push to secure 25 per cent of the national budget for the education sector. The agency emphasized that the move is crucial to transforming Nigeria’s struggling education system and improving access for millions of young people.
NELFUND Managing Director, speaking during a session with lawmakers in Abuja, stressed that education remains the bedrock of national development and must be adequately funded to meet global standards. He noted that inadequate funding has been a long-standing obstacle, leading to poor infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and insufficient learning materials.
The Fund maintained that dedicating a quarter of Nigeria’s annual budget to education would help in the implementation of the government’s loan scheme for students, enhance teachers’ welfare, boost research, and improve school facilities nationwide.
Lawmakers present acknowledged the importance of the proposal, with some pledging to review NELFUND’s request within the broader context of the 2026 budget planning process. They also emphasized the need for accountability and transparency to ensure that any increased funding directly impacts students and institutions.
Analysts believe that if the request scales through, it would bring Nigeria closer to the UNESCO benchmark of 26 per cent allocation to education, which many African nations are yet to achieve.
