A Nigerian widow, Mrs. Nwachukwu Blessing Chituru, has expressed profound gratitude to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for restoring her hope and giving her children the opportunity to pursue university education despite the financial hardship her family has endured since the death of her husband.
Speaking in an emotional interview, the widow recounted the difficult journey she has faced raising her children alone after losing her husband in 2023.
According to her, the loss of her husband left the family in a difficult financial situation, forcing her to shoulder the responsibility of raising and educating the children without support from relatives or family members.
As a private school teacher, she said her salary isn’t enough to cater for herself and her four children (three girls and a boy). According to her, she resolved to be doing menial jobs like washing clothes for people, running errands for people and requests from church members sometimes before they can feed. A condition she described as not been easy for her till now.
Despite the challenges, the 40-year-old widow said she remained determined to give her children an education, working tirelessly to ensure they completed their secondary school education.
“I struggled alone to train my children after the death of my husband. There was no assistance from family members, but I refused to give up because education is the greatest inheritance I can give them,” she said.
The widow revealed that when her daughter secured admission into a public university, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Imo State last year 2025, she had to borrow money to pay the institutional fees with hope that God would come through for her because she had no other means of financing her education.
Her joy knew no bounds when the money was later refunded after NELFUND paid the institutional fees for her daughter. She described the refund as a huge relief, saying it eased a financial burden that had weighed heavily on her.
According to her, her happiness became even greater when her daughter began receiving NELFUND’s monthly upkeep allowance. She explained that one of her greatest worries was how her daughter would survive on campus, especially with the rising cost of transportation, feeding and learning materials.
“I was worried about how she would cope in school because everything is expensive. Receiving the upkeep allowance gave me peace of mind. It showed me that my daughter would not be stranded while pursuing her education,” she said.
The widow admitted that she was initially sceptical about the student loan initiative when it was introduced. She explained that she found it difficult to believe because she had not personally seen anyone who had benefited from the programme.
“I honestly did not believe it when I first heard about NELFUND because I had not seen any beneficiary. It sounded too good to be true,” she recalled.
However, after hearing that applicants did not need to know influential people or pay money to anyone before accessing the scheme, she encouraged her daughter to apply.
“I was told that nobody needed to know anyone or pay any money before applying. I asked my daughter to apply, believing we had nothing to lose.”
She said the successful application completely changed her perception of the initiative. “Today, I can confidently say that NELFUND is real, genuine and working. My daughter benefited without knowing anybody or paying anyone. That has restored my confidence.”
The widow described the intervention as life-changing, noting that it has rekindled her hope for a brighter future for her children.
She commended President Bola Tinubu for introducing policies aimed at expanding access to higher education and praised MD/CEO of NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, for ensuring that deserving students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not denied university education because of financial constraints.
According to her, the initiative has given families like hers renewed confidence that poverty should no longer prevent qualified students from achieving their academic dreams. She also expressed appreciation to the entire management of NELFUND for implementing the programme transparently and making it accessible to ordinary Nigerians.
The widow offered prayers for the continued success of the initiative, expressing hope that it would be sustained for many years to come, noting that her younger children are still in secondary school and expressed optimism that they too would benefit from the programme when they gain admission into tertiary institutions.
“I pray that God will continue to bless everyone behind this initiative. My other children are still in secondary school, and I pray that when their time comes, NELFUND will also come through for them. This programme has given my family hope again.”
She urged parents and students who are eligible for the programme to take advantage of the opportunity, adding that her family’s experience has convinced her that the initiative is genuinely changing lives across Nigeria.
The widow’s testimony adds to the growing number of stories highlighting the impact of NELFUND in easing the financial burden of higher education for Nigerian students and providing hope to vulnerable families striving to secure a better future through education.