The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria (COPSUN) has commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, for his support for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and his broader efforts to boost the education sector.
The commendation was given by the Chairman of COPSUN, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, in Abuja on Thursday, when he led a delegation of the committee on a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s Corporate Headquarters.
Omole said the committee appreciated Olukoyede’s role in supporting NELFUND, noting that the scheme had helped prevent many students from dropping out of school due to financial constraints.
“We appreciate the EFCC Chairman for the role he has played in NELFUND,” Omole said. “As university policy makers, we know what NELFUND has done in the lives of some students who ordinarily would have dropped out of school as a result of financial constraints. We continue to encourage the Executive Chairman and his team to support the scheme.”
The COPSUN chairman urged Olukoyede to sustain his support for the scheme, while also calling for stronger collaboration between the EFCC and state-owned universities. He proposed that the Commission establish institutes within universities where some of its activities could be domiciled, stressing that such a partnership would promote knowledge sharing and research.
He added that the EFCC could tap into the expertise of university lecturers for research and other purposes, while such a partnership could also help educate students on the dangers of corruption.
“We appeal that the Commission collaborates with our universities,” Omole said. “The Executive Chairman cannot fight corruption alone. The Commission needs the support of our lecturers (experts) in the universities in areas such as research, among others. The opportunities will also be used to train our students against corruption and cybercrimes.”
Responding, Olukoyede thanked the lecturers for their dedication and commitment to upholding standards in state-owned universities. He stressed the importance of education to national development, warning that depriving a country of a functional education system would undermine its progress and leadership.
“When you take the educational sector from a nation, it cannot be developed, and no good leadership, as education gives knowledge,” Olukoyede said.
“We need to discourage the younger ones from doing the wrong things and let them know the consequences. We need to encourage them to channel their skills to add value to themselves. That is what motivated us to develop a Cyber Research Academy. With time, we will incorporate the universities into this structure. The idea is to develop the skills of our younger ones in the area of ICT and research.”
The visit comes months after President Bola Tinubu, in August 2026, directed that additional funds recovered by the Commission be diverted to NELFUND to help sustain its growing funding obligations.
