Arguably, NELFUND for graduate/post-graduate category is more needful and will benefit Nigeria more than the undergraduate category, because of the numerous positive multi-plier or attendant effects it will yield as dividend to the public. Beside the necessity, affordability is another important point to discuss, as graduate/post-graduate studies is mostly self-sponsored academic activity in Nigeria, unlike the undergraduate studies that is mostly sponsored by parents and guardians, and it is relatively affordable.
RATIONALE/JUSTIFICATIONS FOR GRANTING NELFUND TO GRADUATE/POST-GRADUATE CATEGORY
(I) Research
Nigeria is seriously lagging behind in research and the man challenge responsible for this is lack of fund or sponsorship. Elsewhere, research is a very serious business because of it's importance in the society. Government, the private sector and we'll meaning individuals invest hugely in it, in order to have improved and updated knowledge about their activities, invention of new ideas and methods of doing things, as well as advancement in existing technologies, so that they will be properly guided in decision making process and solving social problems, be it in business, investment, governance, education, agriculture, health, sciences, environment, etc. Research activity is not well appreciated in Nigeria, this is why NELFUND should be strategically deployed for promotion of the said activity. How will this be achieved? It is unarguable that graduate/post-graduate studies (PGD, Masters and PhD) is basically research based, and granting interested applicants loan will drastically increase research activities in the country. Therefore, this is one important reason NELFUND for graduate/post-graduate category should be speedily activated.
(ii) Highly Skilled Man Power and Work Force
NELFUND for graduate/post-graduate category will massively add to or increase the rate of Nigeria's skilled and highly skilled man power and work force. This is because the boost will definitely be coming from the fraction of the said population who could not have been able to afford such education ordinarily. No doubt, the importance of having great number of highly skilled work force cannot be over-stressed, especially in relation to the country's sustainable development drive; as it will increase the efficiency of Nigeria's productive forces (PF), which in turn, will lead to tangible economic growth It is on this basis, the process for the implementation of the lofty initiative should be fast-tracked by the government.
(iii) High Cost/Non Affordability
parents, guardians and sponsors can afford undergraduate level education because it is more affordable than the graduate/post-graduate level. Government should really take into consideration the high cost of acquiring graduate/post-graduate education, to justify the granting of NELFUND, in order to express the acceptability and harnessing of the Population-education strategy, discussed extensively in a web page titled, "Is It Brain Drain Or Labour Migration?" Indeed, the government of Nigeria can take advantage of it's abundant human resources, by developing it to become human capital, which will benefit the country immensely. The high cost of graduate/post-graduate studies has denied so many eligible and interested Nigerians the opportunity of enrollment. So, activating or implementing NELFUND initiative in that category, will help such people further their studies.
(iv) Prompt/Quick Repayment
Undoubtedly, graduates or post-graduate students stand a high chance of repaying the students loan more quickly than beneficiaries in the undergraduate category; this is because of myriad of opportunities that will be available to them, based on their level of knowledge and capacity to be productive - with high preference in the competitive labour market. They will also have opportunities to earn higher than those in the undergraduate category, because of their competence, skills and capacity. With strict measures put in place for repayment and availability of money, it is likely that beneficiaries in this category will respond positively to repayment, than those in the undergraduate category. This should spur the relevant government's personnel to speedily act based on this sound justification.
WHAT SHOULD BE ADOPTED AS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESSING NELFUND FOR GRADUATE/POST-GRADUATE CATEGORY
Below are the effective criteria or requirements that should be instituted for granting loan to graduate/post-graduate category from NELFUND, which is an initiative for the implementation of the Students Loan Act (2024). In this regard, each requirement forming part of what will produce eligible beneficiaries, MUST be centred around research, which the graduate/post-graduate programmes represent.
(i) Research Proposal
The primary eligibility requirement for accessing NELFUND at graduate/post-graduate category should be research based, other requirements should be secondary, since graduate/post-graduate programme is basically research-oriented. This will speak volume of government's intention to promote research using the initiative. To this end, it should not be designed for students who are only pursuing certificates at the expense of the main thing. It means that those who are not research-minded should be disqualified or denied the opportunity, for the sake of national development, because no country can witness optimum growth without prioritizing research activities.
Research Proposal should be well scrutinized by relevant officials/authorities and satisfactrily defended by applicants before granted loan. The scrutiny should be taken very seriously to weed out unqualified and unserious minded applicants who intend to take advantage of the process, by cutting corners, probably submitting undefendable or already existing research proposal, which may not have any value or relevance to the challenges facing the country, as every research is aimed at solving a problem.
(ii) Update of existing body of knowledge
For knowledge to remain valid and relevant, it must be continuously updated, and this cannot happen outside conducting further research on the subject. In this regard, any genuine research proposal aimed at updating existing body of knowledge should be encouraged, by granting loan to such applicants for graduate/post-graduate studies. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized, because of its ability (validity and reliability) in explaining existing challenges in the society, which remedies or solutions are easily provided.
(iii) Advancement/Innovation in Local and Indigenous Technologies
Because of the prevailing circumstance, in relation to the current global economic order - globalization - which has come to stay, there is need for Nigeria to take advantage of the technologically-driven process. And this cannot happen outside research-related programme, which should be easily driven by government, being the primary driver of social change. The emergence of NELFUND is a welcome development, to help drive home this lofty project of advancing local/indigenous technologies.
In view of the above, having a research proposal that is aimed at or tailored towards technological innovation of local/indigenous technologies/products should be a good requirement for accessing NELFUND at the graduate/post-graduate category.
(iv) Need-Based Research Problem
The government/relevant authorities should shoulder this responsibility of identifying problem areas or aspects in the Nigerian state which require urgent and viable intervention. Research approach to a large extend, can help the country solve them; fortunately, solutions provided through research is usually long lasting and holistical, as such identifiad problem is dissected or x-rayed holistically, taking into consideration the likely and perceived factors triggering the problems. In this case, intended applicants should be offered a research area or problem based on the need in the country, in order to help in solving existing problems that will move the country forward.
This is one effective way the country can channel human resources appropriately, by ensuring that interested applicants, who are research-minded, are granted loan, after being examined based on the proposal on the identified problem issued by the government, through the relevant authorities. NELFUND therefore, should be well considered and weighed by government as an effective tool for solving myriad of problems in Nigeria, through research. Don't forget, internet which has become unprecedented invention today, is a product of research. People saw the need to take communication to another level, and the resultant effect is what has connected the entire world and turned it to a global village, such that communication to any part of the world occurs at the speed of light. Nigeria can borrow a leaf from that model to spur the citizens up with NELFUND, because discoveries and inventions are achieved from research.
In summary, government cannot afford to neglect research due to its positive consequences. That is why NELFUND for graduate/post-graduate category should be designed or tailored towards solving the problem of low research activities in Nigeria.
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