The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Prof. Olugbenga Aribisala, has Nigerian Education Loan Fund as ‘one of the greatest things to have happened to university education in Nigeria.’
Aribisala, who commended Tinubu for introducing the scheme, said 416 out of the 445 students of the newly established university who applied for the NELFUND had so far benefited from the initiative, representing about 93 per cent of the applicants.
The Vice-Chancellor who spoke in Iyin-Ekiti during the maiden press conference to herald 2025/2026 academic session, describing the intervention as a major boost to students, particularly those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Aribisala said, ‘To me, one of the greatest things to have happened to university education in Nigeria is NELFUND. It allows the children of the poor to attend universities and I want to thank the President for this very great initiative.’
‘This is very uncommon. This is the first time in the history of this country and it is highly commendable. The data I have here is that 445 students applied for this NELFUND while 416 have benefitted from it.’ Aribisala said the beneficiaries included 100-level students in their first academic session.
The VC said that the intervention was particularly significant to FUTES because the university was still at its formative stage and was experiencing rapid growth in student enrolment and infrastructure needs.
He added that government-backed financial assistance would help ensure that financial constraints did not prevent students from accessing tertiary education.
Aribisala also disclosed that the university’s admission quota had been increased by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to 3,300 students for the current admission cycle, from its initial quota, after the institution admitted about 1,564 students during its first academic session.
The development, he said, reflected the growing confidence in FUTES and reinforced the management determination to build a world-class institution capable of attracting quality students, academic staff and research grants.
He added said the rapid expansion in the university’s admission quota had made provision of additional accommodation, lecture halls and other essential facilities an urgent priority.
He explained that the institution’s decision to operate as a residential university was deliberate, as adequate accommodation would enable students to learn and interact in a conducive environment while being properly nurtured academically and socially.
The VC said that the management was therefore intensifying efforts to expand the university’s existing infrastructure to keep pace with its growing student population and ensure that the quality of teaching and learning was not compromised by the rapid expansion.
Aribisala noted that the university’s long-term vision was to produce graduates equipped not only with the knowledge and skills required to secure employment but also with the capacity to become employers of labour and drivers of innovation.
He said that FUTES was being positioned as a technology-driven institution where teaching, research and innovation would be deployed to address real-world challenges and contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.