OOU Hails NELFUND as Varsity Produce 147 First-class Graduates
OOU Hails NELFUND as Varsity Produce 147 First-class Graduates
OOU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, has lauded the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for its vital role in student retention.
He noted that the initiative has provided essential financial support, preventing thousands of students from dropping out due to poverty.
The university announced that 147 students achieved First Class honors out of 5,808 total graduates.
Civil Engineering student, Ajayi David Bamidele emerged as the overall best graduate with a CGPA of 4.89, leading a cohort that includes over 2,000 Second Class Upper recipients.
Agboola highlighted that the loan scheme has effectively ended the frequent requests for leaves of absence.
Previously, thousands of students paused their studies annually for financial reasons, but over 6,800 OOU students are now set to benefit from the fund.
The Vice-Chancellor credited the federal government’s initiative for making quality education more accessible. By removing the burden of tuition fees, the program ensures that academic success is determined by merit rather than a student’s economic background.
Reflecting on the impact of the fund, Professor Agboola stated: “Before the advent of NELFUND, we recorded between 3,000 and 4,000 applications for leave of absence annually due to financial difficulties.”
