New NELFUND Job Portal to Link Nigerian Graduates to Jobs Locally and Abroad

NELFUND Job Portal opening soon

 The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced plans to launch a centralised job portal in 2026 to help student‑loan beneficiaries access employment opportunities both within Nigeria and internationally. At a media event in Abuja marking the fund’s first anniversary, Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr explained that the portal will aggregate jobs from public and private sectors, as well as international employers, as part of NELFUND’s effort to support beneficiaries beyond loan disbursement. While the agency does not guarantee placements, Sawyerr emphasized that the portal is a tool to promote economic stability among graduates.

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He further clarified repayment terms, stressing that beneficiaries are not required to begin repayment until they secure employment following their National Youth Service Corps service. According to Sawyerr, once a beneficiary is employed, ten percent of their monthly income will be automatically deducted by their employer and remit to NELFUND after verification through the NELFUND employment registry. Deductions stop if the beneficiary is laid off or resigns, and in the event of death, the loan will be written off—ensuring families are not burdened.

Addressing concerns over students who prepaid fees before NELFUND’s disbursement, Sawyerr called on institutions to refund such payments. He condemned schools that ignored this responsibility and noted that anti‑corruption agencies like the ICPC and EFCC are already probing delays or refusals to refund. If institutions are unable to refund students directly, Sawyerr said they could return funds to NELFUND, which will ensure disbursement reaches the rightful student.

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Executive Director of Operations, Mustapha Iyal, added that NELFUND currently manages over 3.2 million student records in its system and is projecting up to one million new applications by the end of 2025. While this target is not mandatory, the agency aims to support applications to prevent students from dropping out due to financial hardship. The job portal initiative and flexible repayment terms are central to NELFUND’s broader mission of ensuring that interest‑free loans translate into real educational and economic outcomes for Nigeria’s youth.

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