From Mandate to Momentum: President Bola Tinubu’s Vision, Akintunde Sawyerr’s Drive, and a Youth-Centred Promise in Motion – Dare Ojepe
Public policy earns its credibility not at the point of proclamation, but at the moment it begins to work. In Nigeria’s long search for an education financing model that is fair, sustainable, and nationally inclusive, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) stands as one of the clearest expressions yet of intent meeting execution. Conceived under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and driven with uncommon focus by the Managing Director, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND represents more than a programme; it is a mandate translated into momentum.
President Tinubu’s decision to activate and operationalise the student loan framework was neither accidental nor cosmetic. It flowed from a clear reading of Nigeria’s demographic reality: a youthful population whose aspirations increasingly collide with the rising cost of higher education. Within the broader Renewed Hope Agenda, education was positioned not as a social luxury, but as an economic necessity. Access to learning, skills, and training became central to the promise of shared prosperity. NELFUND, therefore, was designed as a structural intervention, one that replaces episodic support with an institutional solution.
The mandate was straightforward but ambitious: ensure that no qualified Nigerian is denied access to tertiary education because of financial constraint. Embedded within this mandate is a deeper philosophy, education as a right enabled by responsibility, not charity dispensed by discretion. By choosing an interest-free loan model backed by law, the Tinubu administration signalled a decisive shift from sentiment-driven support to system-driven empowerment.
Yet, mandates do not implement themselves. Institutions succeed or fail on the strength of the people entrusted with their stewardship. Under Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has demonstrated a rare combination of speed, structure, and sensitivity to public trust. From inception, the management prioritised process clarity, digital accessibility, and nationwide reach. The result is a scheme that speaks one language across all regions: fairness.
The Fund’s operational footprint already tells a compelling story. Hundreds of thousands of Nigerian students across federal and state institutions have accessed loans covering tuition and essential upkeep. Beyond the figures lies something even more significant confidence. Confidence that the system works without gatekeepers. Confidence that applications are assessed on criteria, not connections. Confidence that government intervention can, indeed, be neutral.
This confidence did not emerge by chance. It is the product of deliberate administrative choices. The NELFUND portal was designed to eliminate human bottlenecks. Repayment structures were calibrated to respect post-graduation realities, with obligations commencing only after graduates have had time to stabilise economically. Employers are integrated into the repayment ecosystem, reinforcing accountability while avoiding punitive pressure on young professionals still finding their feet.
Equally important is the Fund’s insistence on institutional discipline. Under Mr. Sawyerr’s leadership, NELFUND has made it clear that transparency is not optional. Institutions are expected to cooperate fully, provide accurate data, and uphold the integrity of the process. This firmness is not antagonistic; it is protective guarding both public resources and student interests.
For Nigerian youth, the implications are profound. A generation raised amidst stories of exclusion is encountering a system that invites participation without prejudice. The psychological shift cannot be overstated. When access becomes predictable, planning replaces desperation. When opportunity is decoupled from identity, effort becomes meaningful. This is how policy quietly reshapes national character.
As the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth Engagement, I engage daily with young Nigerians whose ambitions are large but whose means are limited. What NELFUND offers them is not a promise of success, but something arguably more important: a fair chance. It tells the student from a rural community and the one from an urban centre that the nation sees them equally. It tells parents that their children’s futures are no longer hostage to sudden economic shocks. It tells Nigeria that development can be deliberate.
None of this suggests the work is complete. Sensitisation must deepen, processes must continually improve, and loan recovery must be managed with both firmness and empathy. Constructive criticism should be welcomed, not feared. Institutions like NELFUND grow stronger when citizens remain engaged and vigilant.
Still, it is necessary to recognise progress when it appears, especially in a sector long accustomed to inertia. President Bola Tinubu provided the political will and legal backing. Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr and his team supplied the discipline, professionalism, and devotion required to make the vision real. Together, they have placed Nigeria on a path where education financing is no longer an afterthought, but a cornerstone of national planning.
NELFUND’s story is still being written. But already, it offers a lesson worth amplifying: when leadership is clear, management is committed, and youth are treated as stakeholders rather than statistics, policy stops being theory and starts becoming legacy.
– Dare Ojepe is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth Engagement
