Former Deputy Governor of Edo State and Director General of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Philip Shuaibu, on Monday, 20th April 2026, led a delegation from the Institute on a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The delegation was warmly received by the Managing Director/Chief Executive of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, alongside select Directors and HOD’s. The visit provided a strategic platform for dialogue and collaboration, particularly in advancing inclusive access to the Federal Government’s student loan programme.

Central to the engagement was the request by the leadership of the National Institute of Sports for the integration of its students into the loan scheme, an initiative championed under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The move is aimed at ensuring that students pursuing careers in sports education and related disciplines are not excluded from critical financial support mechanisms.

In his remarks, Mr. Sawyerr reiterated NELFUND’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity, emphasizing that the mandate of the Fund is to ensure that every eligible Nigerian student, regardless of institution or field of study, has access to the financial support needed to pursue their academic aspirations.

He assured the delegation that necessary steps would be taken to facilitate the onboarding process of the Institute, subject to required documentation and compliance procedures.

The meeting further highlighted the importance of extending the benefits of the student loan programme beyond conventional tertiary institutions to include specialized training centers such as the National Institute of Sports, which play a vital role in national development through capacity building in sports and youth empowerment.

Both parties expressed optimism about the outcomes of the engagement, noting that the collaboration would open new opportunities for students of the Institute and further strengthen the Federal Government’s broader objective of expanding access to education and skills development across the country.