NELFUND to launch job portal linking graduates with employers
NELFUND to launch job portal linking graduates with employers
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has unveiled plans to launch a centralized job portal by 2026, aimed at helping student loan beneficiaries access employment opportunities both locally and abroad.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to boost the effectiveness of the student loan programme and promote financial independence among graduates.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja to commemorate the scheme’s one-year anniversary, NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr emphasized that while the agency cannot guarantee employment, the portal is intended to ease graduates’ entry into the workforce.
He explained that the platform will aggregate job listings from both public and private sectors, as well as international organizations interested in hiring Nigerian talent.
“We don’t just disburse loans and abandon students — this job portal is part of our commitment to guiding them toward economic stability,” Sawyerr stated.
He reaffirmed that loan repayment would only begin after beneficiaries have completed their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and secured gainful employment.
“If you’re unemployed, you’re not expected to pay. Repayment only begins once you have a job, and it starts afresh,” he explained.
According to him, once a beneficiary is employed, 10 percent of their monthly income will be automatically deducted by their employer and remitted to NELFUND, after verification through the agency’s employment register.
