By Clifford Ejenavi
In a significant move to deepen cooperation between key development agencies, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, on Monday 8th December, 2025 received a delegation from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), led by two of its Directors, Mr. Nwankwo Chidi and Mrs. Chinyere Ume. The courtesy visit held at NELFUND’s headquarters marks the beginning of a renewed push for collaboration between the institutions.
The engagement provided an opportunity for introductory discussions and high-level dialogue on areas of mutual interest, particularly around strengthening collaboration and expanding awareness of NELFUND’s initiatives within the Niger Delta region.
Representatives from NELFUND who were present include the Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi; the Deputy Director in charge of Loan Allocation and Distribution, Mrs. Theodora Azinge and the Head of Investment, Ms Tosin Sanusi. Their presence signals NELFUND’s commitment to ensuring the collaboration is operational, not merely symbolic.
The engagement between NELFUND and NDDC is a potentially important development for the Niger Delta. The NDDC which has in recent times emphasised youth empowerment, skills development, and entrepreneurship in the region through various programmes, may benefit from leveraging NELFUND’s structure and reach to expand access to financial support or student-loan programmes in the region.
For NELFUND, the partnership offers a pathway to strengthen outreach and ensure its schemes penetrate underserved communities in the Niger Delta. The collaboration could pave the way for combined interventions including education financing, youth entrepreneurship support, and awareness campaigns, tailored to the region’s unique needs.
While the visit appears to be an exploratory, goodwill gesture, NELFUND and NDDC officials indicated interest in deeper coordination. Depending on follow-up actions and concrete agreements, this collaboration could yield joint initiatives that benefit thousands of youths and students across the oil-producing states of the Niger Delta.
