Akinwande Soji-Ojo
A former member of the House of Representatives and former beneficiary of the Federal Government Student Loan Scheme, Hon Lanre Laoshe, has graciously repaid his N1,200 student loan, received between 1976 and 1979, with the sum of N3,189,217.00.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disclosed this in a statement signed by Nasir Ayitogo, on behalf of Director, Corporate Communications of the agency, on Tuesday.
Laoshe, a former Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives who benefited from the defunct Federal Government Student Loan Scheme, expressed his deep appreciation for the financial support he received from the Federal Government during his educational pursuit.
He stated that in order to determine the current equivalent of the N1,200 loan, he obtained a table of average annual exchange rates from 1972 to 1985 from sources at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“The table indicated that in 1979, the exchange rate was $1.00 = N0.596, meaning that the sum of N1,200.00 was equivalent to $2,013.42 at the time.
“Using the current exchange rate of $1.00 = N1,583.98, Hon. Laoshe calculated that the equivalent amount today would be N3,189,217.00.
“As a result, he issued a Polaris Bank Plc bank draft (No. 14670909) for this amount to NELFUND, marking his repayment as a token of gratitude to the Federal Government for the role it played in his educational journey.
“This act of goodwill and integrity by Hon. Laoshe serves as an inspiring example of the impact that government support can have on individuals and highlights the importance of honouring one’s commitments,” the statement said.
NELFUND said it is deeply appreciative of Laoshe’s gesture and remains committed to supporting the educational aspirations of Nigerian students through its various programmes.
Laoshe represented Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD).
