_...As Tinubu’s Vision Meets Sawyerr’s Delivery_
—Ogene Romanus Chizoba
The promise of broader access to higher education is taking measurable shape in Plateau State, with the supplied Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursement report recording approximately ₦11.34 billion in institutional charges and student upkeep support across the academic sessions listed.
The figures highlight the significance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s student financing vision and the implementation efforts of NELFUND under its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Akintunde Sawyerr.
According to the report, ₦6.37 billion went towards institutional charges, while ₦4.97 billion was disbursed for upkeep. The records cover the 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions, alongside an institutional payment listed for 2026/2027.
Together, these two funding streams address important pressures facing learners: meeting institutional charges and managing the everyday costs of remaining in school.
Institutional funding rose from ₦1.28 billion in 2023/2024 to ₦2.07 billion in 2024/2025, reaching ₦3.01 billion in 2025/2026.
Recorded institutional beneficiary counts also increased, from 11,348 to 18,912, and then 25,547 across those sessions. These are session-based counts; students appearing in more than one session should not be counted as separate individuals in a cumulative total.
Upkeep disbursements stood at ₦1.48 billion in 2023/2024, ₦1.37 billion in 2024/2025, and ₦2.12 billion in 2025/2026.
The University of Jos accounted for the largest institutional allocation in each of the three main sessions, including approximately ₦2.02 billion in 2025/2026.
Other institutions listed include Plateau State University, Bokkos; the Federal University of Education, Pankshin; the College of Education, Gindiri; and the Federal College of Forestry, Jos.
Tinubu’s student financing vision deserves recognition for placing access to education within a practical funding framework. For families facing financial constraints, the value of that vision lies in support that can help learners continue their education.
Sawyerr’s leadership deserves corresponding credit for translating the programme into recorded institutional payments and upkeep disbursements. The growth shown in the Plateau report provides a concrete basis for recognising that delivery.
The report also lists ₦5.57 million for 64 institutional beneficiaries at the National Film Institute, Jos, in 2026/2027. That entry represents the payment recorded in the supplied document, rather than a complete total for the session.
For Plateau, the significance extends beyond the headline billions. The figures show a substantial commitment to educational opportunity linking national policy with financial support for learners.
*Tinubu’s vision and Sawyerr’s implementation offer a compelling example of how investment in education can move from policy ambition to measurable delivery.*
FOUNTAINCARE MEDIA
