LAUTECH’s best graduating student, Oladepo Caleb Olugbenga, has credited the NELFUND loan scheme introduced by Tinubu for supporting his academic journey The university graduated 7,641 students, with 137 earning First Class honours, as the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences produced the highest number of top-performing graduates. Oladepo Caleb Olugbenga, who graduated……
LAUTECH’s best graduating student, Oladepo Caleb Olugbenga, has credited the NELFUND loan scheme introduced by Tinubu for supporting his academic journey
The university graduated 7,641 students, with 137 earning First Class honours, as the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences produced the highest number of top-performing graduates.
Oladepo Caleb Olugbenga, who graduated from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, finished as the overall best student with a cumulative grade point average of 4.89.
While his result drew widespread praise, it was his public acknowledgement of support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) that ignited debate.
“I’m honoured to let you know that I am the Best Graduating Student of LAUTECH. Your loans made it possible,” he wrote on X, tagging the fund.
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The post quickly gained traction, splitting reactions between commendation and criticism.
Supporters hailed both his academic achievement and transparency, while critics accused him of politicising personal success.
NELFUND responded directly: “Congratulations, Caleb! Your achievement is truly inspiring, and we’re proud to have played a part in your journey. This is exactly the impact we strive for. Empowering students to excel.”
But Oladepo, in a follow-up statement wrote on Friday: “I hail from a village in Osun State, raised in a modest family of five. I attended public primary and secondary schools, not by choice, but because even the most inexpensive private schools were beyond our means.
“Even then, survival itself; food and clothing was a daily struggle. I walked miles to school each morning, while my parents laboured as jacks-of-all-trades to make ends meet.”
He recounted growing up without electricity or basic amenities: “For nine defining years before I entered university, we lived within sight of basic amenities yet beyond our reach, no electricity, no television; just lanterns and candles.”
His academic rise, he explained, was not powered by a single intervention but by layers of support, scholarships, personal sacrifices, and acts of kindness.
In his third year, a course mate’s father gifted him his first smartphone, one he still uses. Lecturers, he added, occasionally provided clothing.
“There are many other instances, too numerous to recount. Not all of us are born with a silver spoon. Some of us climbed the ladder by holding on to every rung of legitimate support we could find,” he wrote.
Addressing critics of his NELFUND acknowledgement, Oladepo rejected claims of misplaced loyalty.
“As an engineering student aspiring to make academic history, should I resort to blaming my family’s financial situation for my inability to afford fees and essentials like a reliable smartphone or laptop needed for skills and certifications?” he asked.
“For me personally, NELFUND was not incidental; it was instrumental. To acknowledge what helped one’s journey is neither propaganda nor misplaced allegiance. It is simply an act of appreciation.”
His stance was echoed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, who framed the development as validation of policy direction.
“The NELFUND policy was intentional, to help students like Caleb, who would have been denied the dream of tertiary education because of parental financial challenges,” Onanuga stated.
Data from the university underscores the scheme’s growing footprint.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Razaq Kalilu disclosed that over N1.4 billion in NELFUND loans was disbursed to LAUTECH students in 2025 alone. However, challenges persist, with thousands of approved beneficiaries, including about 15,000 students at the institution, still awaiting full disbursement around the time of convocation.
Established following the enactment of the student loan law by Bola Tinubu in April 2024, NELFUND administers interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions, covering tuition and living costs, with repayment scheduled after employment.
Since its launch in May 2024, the scheme has disbursed over N206 billion to more than 1.1 million students as of March 2026.
For Oladepo, the debate surrounding his gratitude does not diminish the reality of his journey — or the message he hopes it sends.
“I accept the praise, life-changing offers and the backlash, in good faith. Still, it is only fair to set the record straight.
“Greatness awaits all of us,” he wrote.
