July 22, 2026
ENUGU, NIGERIA — The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, has expressed concern over the low participation of students from the South-East in the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing the region’s response as disappointing.
Speaking during a pre-convocation press briefing at the university’s Enugu Campus, Ortuanya revealed that only about 7,201 UNN students have so far benefited from the interest-free loan scheme.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the total number of NELFUND beneficiaries across the entire South-East remains lower than the number recorded in a single state in Nigeria’s North-East, a situation he described as troubling.
He urged students and parents in the region to take advantage of the Federal Government’s interest-free education loan, stressing that the programme provides financial support without repayment interest.
Ortuanya attributed the low enrollment partly to cultural attitudes toward borrowing, insisting that the loan presents a valuable opportunity for students to finance their education without incurring additional costs.
The Vice-Chancellor also announced that 12,895 students will graduate during the university’s 55th Convocation Ceremony. Of the figure, 10,641 will receive first degrees and diplomas, including 168 First Class graduates, while 2,944 postgraduate students will be awarded higher degrees, comprising 1,390 PhDs, 1,340 Master’s degrees, and 214 Postgraduate Diplomas.
He further disclosed that the university will confer honorary doctorate degrees on Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, alongside High Chief Williams Agbo, Arc. Dr. Kaycee Kelechi Orji, and Dr. William Franklyn Richardson.
Highlighting achievements since assuming office in August 2025, Ortuanya said UNN has secured major accreditation approvals that expanded admission quotas for Medicine and Dentistry, introduced specialised programmes in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Public Relations, and Content Creation, and strengthened entrepreneurship education to improve graduate employability.
He also noted that nearly 2,000 members of staff have been promoted within the past 11 months, including 25 academics elevated to the rank of professor.
The Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed the university’s commitment to transparency, innovation, and academic excellence while encouraging eligible students across the South-East to take full advantage of the NELFUND scheme to ease the cost of higher education.
