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.

• Villagers fleeing to neighbouring towns

RESIDENTS of Tidibale, a community in Isa Local government area in Sokoto State, have fled their farms and homes following a severe warning issued by notorious warlord Bello Turji, a name long associated with banditry in the Northwest.

Residents said that the threat, delivered after months of relative silence from Turji, has triggered fresh panic, forcing families to abandon their homes and farmlands. Many

Local accounts said that Turji is attempting to reassert relevance and recognition after a lull in his activities, warning of “dire consequences” for Tidibale and nearby settlements that have not aligned with him.

Military strikes conducted by the US in December 2025 killed 155 Lakurawa terrorists in Sokoro, a report by The New Humanitarian has claimed.

The US focus was Lakurawa though the strikes didn’t touch other jihadist groups including Boko Haram, as well as the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru.

The publication also claimed that the attacks left 200 additional Lakurawa fighters missing in the week following the operation.

The strikes, carried out in collaboration with Nigerian authorities, were believed to have involved Tomahawk missiles launched from a US destroyer positioned in the Gulf of Guinea.

The missiles targeted three districts in Sokoto State: Isa, Tangaza, and Tambuwal, though only Tangaza is widely recognised as a core area of Lakurawa.

It is believed that Tambuwal is not generally associated with organised armed violence; while Isa is a bandit stronghold largely controlled by Bello Turji.

Although details of the strike on Isa remain unclear, Turji is widely believed to have survived the attack.

A Lakurawa camp in Tangaza, however, reportedly suffered significant losses.

The New Humanitarian reports that there were two missile hits.

The first reportedly killed around 30 fighters. As surviving members converged to assess the damage and assist the wounded, a second missile struck, killing those who had gathered.

In total, an estimated 155 Lakurawa were killed, including 19 who were initially injured but later succumbed to their wounds.

Dando Sibu, a key Lakurawa commander, is reported to have survived the attack because he left the location less than five minutes before the second missile was fired.

However, in the week following the strikes, about 200 Lakurawa fighters were reported missing. The group was also said to have lost nearly half of its cattle, which is a major source of its revenue.

(The Sun)