EFCC: NELFUND Preventing Students From Dropping Out – Pro-chancellors

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN) has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for the support to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in August, 2026, directed that additional recovered funds from the Commission be diverted to the NELFUND to sustain its growing funding obligations.

Speaking on Thursday during a visit to the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency, the Chairman of COPSUN, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, said the committee appreciated Olukoyede’s role in supporting NELFUND.

He noted that the scheme had helped prevent many students from dropping out of school.

Omole called for stronger collaboration between the EFCC and state-owned Universities.

The COPSUN Chairman said, “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.”

He proposed that the Commission establish Institutes in Universities where some of its activities could be domiciled, stressing that such collaboration would promote knowledge sharing and research.

Omole added that the EFCC could leverage the expertise of university lecturers in research and other areas, while the partnership could also provide an avenue to educate students on the dangers of corruption.

“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, Olukoyede stressed the importance of education to national development, noting that depriving a country of a functional education system would undermine its progress and leadership.

Olukoyede said, “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.”