African Brand Review Opposes NELFUND Extension to Private Schools

Joseph Ayodel, the Executive Secretary of the African Brand Review, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately suspend its plan to extend the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to private schools. Ayodel warns that this move could trigger widespread corruption and divert scarce public resources, describing the proposed expansion as corrupt-prone and reminiscent of past scandals in Nigeria's oil subsidy and foreign exchange sectors.

He argues that NELFUND serves as a critical lifeline for students in public tertiary institutions grappling with the economic effects of fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation. Instead of extending NELFUND to private schools, Ayodel recommends strengthening public education through expanding public school feeding programs, improving enrollment, and investing in infrastructure and teacher training.

He emphasizes that the government has a constitutional obligation to provide free, high-quality education in public institutions and criticizes proposals to subsidize private primary schools, asserting that it undermines the state's duty to promote social welfare.