LAUTECH’s top graduate credits NELFUND loan for academic success
Oladepo Caleb Olugbenga overcame years of hardship in Osun State to become the overall best graduating engineering student at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. He publicly credited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for making his academic journey possible, sparking both praise and debate online. Oladepo shared his story of perseverance, highlighting the impact of financial support and community assistance. His achievement has drawn national attention to the role of student loans in supporting higher education.
What we know
- Oladepo Caleb Olugbenga grew up in a village without electricity for nine years and walked miles to school daily due to financial hardship.
- On January 14, he was formally named the overall best graduating engineering student of the 2024/2025 session at LAUTECH.
- He publicly thanked NELFUND for their loan, stating it was instrumental in his success, which led to both praise and criticism online.
- NELFUND responded to his post, expressing pride in his achievement and reaffirming their mission to empower students.
- The NELFUND scheme was launched on May 24, 2024, and as of March 2026, over 1.1 million students had benefited from more than ₦206bn disbursed.
