COPSUN Lauds EFCC’s Support For NELFUND, Says Scheme Is Keeping Students In School

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN) has commended the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, for supporting the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying the initiative has helped many students remain in school despite financial challenges.

The commendation came on Thursday during a courtesy visit by a COPSUN delegation, led by its Chairman, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, to the EFCC Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

Omole said the education loan scheme has become a lifeline for many students who would have been forced to abandon their studies because of financial hardship.

“We appreciate the EFCC Chairman for the role he has played in NELFUND. As university policy makers, we know what NELFUND has done in the lives of some students who ordinarily would have dropped out of school as a result of financial constraint. We continue to encourage the Executive Chairman and his team to support the scheme.”

The COPSUN chairman also called for stronger collaboration between the EFCC and state-owned universities to promote research, knowledge sharing and anti-corruption education.

He proposed the establishment of EFCC institutes in universities, saying such a partnership would allow the Commission to tap into the expertise of academics while exposing students to integrity and accountability programmes.

“We appeal that the Commission collaborates with our universities. The Executive Chairman cannot fight corruption alone. The Commission needs the support of our lecturers (experts) in the Universities in areas such as research among others. The opportunities will also be used to train our students against corruption, cybercrimes,” he said.

Responding, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede thanked members of the committee for their commitment to improving standards in state-owned universities.

He described education as the foundation of national development, warning that any nation that neglects its education sector risks undermining its future leadership and progress.

“When you take the educational sector from a nation, it cannot be developed, and no good leadership, as education gives knowledge.

“We need to discourage the younger ones from doing the wrong things and let them know the consequences. We need to encourage them to channel their skills to add value to themselves. That is what motivated us into developing a Cyber Research Academy. With time, we will incorporate the universities into this structure. The idea is to develop the skills of our younger ones in the area of ICT and research.”

The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen efforts to combat corruption through education while creating opportunities for research, innovation and digital skills development in Nigerian universities.

NELFUND was established by the Federal Government to provide interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students in tertiary institutions, helping them pay tuition and meet other educational expenses.

To sustain the scheme, President Bola Tinubu in August 2026 directed that additional recovered funds by the EFCC should be channelled to NELFUND, reinforcing the government’s commitment to expanding access to higher education and ensuring that financial hardship does not prevent qualified students from completing their studies.