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NELFUND releases N161.97bn student loans to more than 864,000 students

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed a total of N161.97 billion in student loans, benefiting 864,798 students across the country since the scheme’s launch in May 2024.

This milestone was announced by NELFUND Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. The initiative, a key component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to eliminate financial barriers to higher education and ensure no qualified Nigerian student is denied access to tertiary institutions due to lack of funds.

According to Sawyerr, NELFUND has received 1,361,011 loan applications to date. Of the total disbursed amount:

– N89.94 billion was paid directly to 263 tertiary institutions to cover tuition and other institutional charges.

– N72.03 billion was released directly to students as upkeep allowances to support their living expenses during studies.

The scheme provides interest-free loans to eligible students in public universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and vocational institutions. Sawyerr emphasized that the growing numbers demonstrate the program’s tangible impact, gradually dismantling financial obstacles and creating new opportunities for young Nigerians.

The agency has conducted widespread sensitization campaigns across tertiary institutions over the past year to boost awareness and participation.

NELFUND is also pursuing partnerships with philanthropists, corporate organizations, and government bodies, including a N20 billion collaboration with the Ministry of Education focused on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Applications for the 2025/2026 academic session began in November 2025, with more than 200 institutions submitting updated data. So far, around 280,000 applications have been received for the new session, and loans have already been disbursed to over 150,000 students.

Sawyerr urged financially challenged students to apply, describing the scheme as a vital lifeline for completing their education. He reiterated NELFUND’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and expanding access to quality higher education nationwide.

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Katsina Flood Sweeps Away Siblings Returning From Islamiyya School

Fighting back tears, the children’s father, Malam Salisu Arabi, described the loss as the most painful moment of his life.

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Two brothers, Muhammad Salisu, 12, and Abdurrahman Salisu, 7, lost their lives after they were carried away by flood in Janbago, a community in Katsina State.

The victims, were said to be returning home from a nearby Islamiyya school when downpour, accompanied by strong winds, turned the streets into raging torrents.

The Daily Trust reported that their bodies were later recovered from different locations after frantic search efforts by residents.

The incident plunged the entire community into mourning as sympathisers thronged the family residence to console the bereaved parents.

Fighting back tears, the children’s father, Malam Salisu Arabi, described the loss as the most painful moment of his life.

“They left home that day like every other child going to Islamiyya school. I never imagined that the same rain we all witnessed would take away my two children,” he lamented.

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An alleged fake university discover in Lagos

The university was operating from a three-bedroom apartment at Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

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Photo:Students of the university during the raid by NSCDC. Credit: NSCDC

The proprietor of an alleged fake university in Lagos , has been arrested by operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NCDC).

The NSCDC Badagry Area Command, who enforced the arrest, said that the university was operating from a three-bedroom apartment at Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

The command also rescued 106 students of the institution from across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university.

According to the corps, the operation was carried out in the early hours of Monday following days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance by NSCDC operatives

” The suspected institution was operating without an official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus, while allegedly presenting itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university,”said NSCDC.

Investigations revealed that the rescued youths, mostly between the ages of 19 and 24, came from several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Oyo and some northern states. Others reportedly travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited online.

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Ayo Fayose Gets Presidential Portfolio As REA Board Chairman

Fayose will head the board of REA, with Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta appointed as members and non-executive directors,” said Onanuga.

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, as chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Board.

The President also appointed Major General Junaid Bindawa as chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

24 others were also appointed to 10 federal government agencies and commissions.

The appointments were contained in a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja.

According to the statement, “All the appointments take immediate effect.”

“Fayose will head the board of REA, with Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta appointed as members and non-executive directors,” said Onanuga.

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