Speaking at a town hall meeting in Lokoja, officials said the scheme has received more than 645,000 applications, with loans already disbursed to students in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

According to NELFUND, the initiative is interest-free and repayment begins two years after the completion of the National Youth Service Corps programme.

The government described the loan scheme as a key achievement of President Bola Tinubu’s administration aimed at widening access to higher education.