The House of Representatives has disclosed that more than 1.6 million Nigerians have benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing the initiative as one of the major achievements of the 10th Assembly.
The House Spokesman, Hon. Akin Rotimi, made the disclosure on Monday during a media briefing in Abuja to mark the end of the third legislative session of the 10th House of Representatives.
Rotimi said the student loan scheme, which was established through legislation sponsored by the National Assembly, has significantly improved access to higher education for Nigerians.
He noted that over N303 billion had been disbursed as student loans under the programme, adding that the development showed that laws passed by the legislature were producing direct benefits for citizens.
“Many of the bills passed by the House are already producing measurable results,” Rotimi said, citing NELFUND as a key example.
According to him, the impact of the scheme demonstrates that the National Assembly is focused on passing laws that improve the lives of Nigerians rather than simply increasing the number of legislative activities.
The lawmaker also explained that the gap between the number of bills introduced and those passed was partly due to the consolidation of similar bills sponsored by different lawmakers into single pieces of legislation.
He added that more than 300 constitutional amendment proposals had also been presented and were currently undergoing legislative processes.
Rotimi said the leadership of the House was reviewing its legislative agenda ahead of the fourth session to ensure that commitments made to Nigerians were achieved before the end of the 10th Assembly.
“We’ve covered a lot of ground, but there is still a lot more to do. We are reviewing our legislative agenda internally to ensure that key promises made to Nigerians are delivered before the end of this Assembly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, presented the three-year legislative scorecard of the House, revealing that lawmakers introduced 2,747 bills between June 2023 and the end of the third legislative session.
The bills comprised 57 executive bills, 95 Senate concurrence bills, and 2,595 private member bills, while 363 bills were passed within the period.
Waive disclosed that the House passed 89 bills during its first session, 148 in the second session, and 12
6 during the recently concluded third session.
He also rejected allegations that lawmakers pay money to have bills listed for consideration, insisting that the legislative process remains transparent and guided by constitutional procedures.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.