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 efforts to boost the education sector.
The Chairman of COPSUN, Prof. Ayodeji Omole, gave the commendation in Abuja on Thursday, September 17, 2026, 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.
He urged Olukoyede to sustain his support for the scheme while also calling for stronger collaboration between the EFCC and state-owned universities.
The COPSUN Chairman said, “We appreciate the EFCC Chairman for the role he has played in NELFUND. As university policymakers, 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.”
He proposed that the Commission establish institutes in universities where some of its activities could be domiciled, stressing that such collaboration would promote knowledge-sharing and research.
Omole added that the EFCC could leverage the expertise of university lecturers in research and other areas, while the partnership could also provide an avenue to educate students on the dangers of corruption.
“We appeal to the Commission to collaborate with our universities. The Executive Chairman cannot fight corruption alone. The Commission needs the support of our lecturers and experts in the universities in areas such as research, among others. The opportunities will also be used to train our students on the dangers of corruption and cybercrime,” he said.
Olukoyede, in his response, thanked the lecturers for their dedication and commitment to upholding standards in state-owned universities.
He stressed the importance of education to national development, noting that depriving a country of a functional education system would undermine its progress and leadership.
Olukoyede said, “When you take the educational sector from a nation, it cannot be developed, and there will be no good leadership, as education gives knowledge.
“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 areas of ICT and research.”
In August 2026, President Bola Tinubu directed that additional recovered funds from the Commission be diverted to NELFUND to sustain its growing funding obligations.
