The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced plans to introduce a centralised job portal by 2026 to assist student loan beneficiaries in accessing employment opportunities both within Nigeria and internationally.
This development is part of broader efforts to enhance the impact of the student loan scheme and support graduates toward financial independence.
Speaking during a media engagement in Abuja to mark one year since the loan scheme was launched, NELFUND Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyerr, stated that while the agency did not guarantee jobs, the planned job portal was designed to support graduates’ transition into the labour market.
Sawyerr said the portal would aggregate listings from the public and private sectors, as well as international employers interested in recruiting Nigerians.
“We don’t just give a loan and leave students on their own. This job portal is our way of supporting their journey towards economic stability,” he said.
Sawyerr reiterated that student loan repayment would not commence until beneficiaries had completed their National Youth Service Corps and were gainfully employed.
“If you don’t have a job, you don’t pay. And when you eventually get a job, your repayment starts fresh.
“Once employed, 10 per cent of the beneficiary’s monthly income is deducted automatically by the employer and remitted to NELFUND, following verification through the NELFUND employment register,” he said.
