The National Association of Nigerian Trainees, Turkish Zone, has called on the Senate to broaden the protection of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund to include qualified Nigerian trainees registered in certified greater institutions outside the nation.
The trainee body made the demand throughout a meeting with the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, Senator Anthony Siyako Yaro.
In a declaration issued on Tuesday, the NANS Turkish Zone President, Daniel Okpala, stated the delegation utilized the engagement to draw attention to the financial troubles and well-being issues affecting Nigerian students living and studying abroad.
Okpala said the growing variety of Nigerians seeking higher education overseas must trigger the Federal Government to reevaluate the scope of its education funding policies.
He argued that Nigerian trainees must have access to government-backed instructional support based upon their eligibility instead of the place of their organizations.
According to him, the association desires the existing NELFUND framework examined to permit certified trainees attending accredited foreign organizations to make an application for education loans.
“Nigerian students ought to not lose government-backed instructional support simply due to the fact that they are pursuing their research studies outside the country,” the association stated.
NANS kept in mind that trainees in the diaspora were significantly dealing with the expense of tuition, lodging and other living costs, while fluctuations in foreign exchange rates had further increased the financial concern on lots of households.
The association preserved that extending NELFUND assistance to eligible trainees abroad would help in reducing a few of these pressures and make higher education more accessible to Nigerians no matter where they study.
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NELFUND was established under the Student Loans (Access to College) (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act, 2024, to provide monetary assistance to eligible Nigerians pursuing higher education, trade training and abilities acquisition.
Versus this background, NANS urged legislators to think about a legal structure that would allow competent Nigerian trainees enrolled in accredited foreign institutions to gain from the scheme.
The association explained the proposed expansion as a chance to make federal government education funding more inclusive and react to the changing realities of Nigerian trainees pursuing scholastic programs outside the country.
Reacting to the demand, Yaro revealed preparedness to consider the proposal and take a look at the legislative actions that could be taken to broaden the reach of NELFUND.
The senator likewise acknowledged the importance of making sure that Nigerians living abroad, consisting of students, have appropriate representation in nationwide policy conversations and legal procedures.
Beyond education financing, the NANS delegation required closer cooperation in between Nigerian diplomatic missions and student associations in nations with considerable Nigerian student populations.
The association said more powerful engagement would help diplomatic missions better understand the obstacles facing Nigerian trainees and provide appropriate support when essential.
NANS promised to sustain discussions with members of the National Assembly and relevant federal government firms on policies affecting the academic well-being, financial needs and general health and wellbeing of Nigerian trainees studying outside Nigeria.