Education
Student Loan: FG Says 20,000 Students’ Fees Paid
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government claims it has paid the tuition fees of 20,000 students directly to their institutions in the ongoing Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
This is according to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyer on Thursday while speaking during a summit and sensitization programme by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Rivers State.
According to him, the fund had paid the tuition fees of 20, 000 students in six universities, including the University of Ibadan, University of Benin, University of Maiduguri, University of Ilorin, and Bayero University, Kano.
The implementation of the student loan scheme is President Bola Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector.
The president introduced the fund when he signed the Access to Higher Education Act, which creates a legal framework for granting loans to indigent or low-income Nigerians to facilitate the payment of their fees in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Mr Sawyer also disclosed that as of August 22, 2024, over 280,000 students have registered for the scheme, while about 256,000 have completed the application process.
He attributed some of the delays in approving requests for the student interest-free loan to errors made by students during the registration process.
He said filing wrong documents and false information prolongs the verification process, as the agency is committed to ensuring that only eligible students benefit from the scheme.
The event, organised by the NANS National Secretariat in collaboration with NELFUND, aimed to educate students in higher institutions in the state about the loan scheme and to gather feedback from them.
NANS said it is committed to continuing sensitization efforts across higher institutions in Rivers State to encourage more students to benefit from the loan scheme.
Earlier in the month, Business Post reported that the fund said it had cleared an extra 22 state-owned tertiary institutions to apply for student loans.
The onboarding of the 22 state-owned institutions brings total number of approved state institutions to 108.
The Newly Cleared Institutions Are:
1. Abia State University, Uturu
2. College of Education, Nsugbe
3. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University
4. Delta State University, Abraka.
5. Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Delta State
6. Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan-Ekiti
7. Kogi State University, Kabba, Kogi State
8. Prince Abubakar Audu University, Kogi
9. Kwara State University, Kwara
10. Kwara State College of Health Technology
11. Abdulkadir Kure University Minna
12. Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu
13. Moshood Abiola Polytechnic
14. Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo
15. The Polytechnic, Ibadan
16. The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki
17. Rivers State University, Port Harcourt
18. Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic
19. Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu
20. College of Administration, Management andTechnology Potiskum, Yobe State
21. College of Agriculture, Science & Technology, Gujba
22. College of Education Legal Studies, Nguru
Previously Cleared Institutions Are:
1. Abia State Polytechnic
2. Adamawa State University Mubi
3. Adamawa State Polytechnic Yola
4. College of Education Afaha Nsit
5. Akwa Ibom State University
6. Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic
7. Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare
8. Niger Delta University
9. Benue State University, Makurdi
10. Borno State University
11. College of Education, Waka-Biu
12. Mohammed Lawan College Of Agriculture
13. Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri
14. Cross River State University
15. Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-uku
16. Delta State University of Science and Technology
17. Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba 18. University of Delta Agbor
19. Ebonyi State University, AbakalikI
20. Edo State University Uzairue.
21. Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti
22. Bamidele Olumilua University of Edu., Sc., and Tech
23. University of Medical and Applied Sciences Enugu State
24. Gombe State University
25. Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo
26. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University
27. Benjamin Uwajumogu State College of Education Ihitte Uboma
28. Imo State Polytechnic Omuma
29. Sule Lamido University Kafin Hausa, Jigawa State
30. Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria
31. Kaduna State College of Education Gidan Waya
32. Kaduna State University
33. Aliko Dangote University of science and Technology, Wudil
34. Yusuf Maitama Sule University
35. Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management
36. Umar Musa Yaradua University Katsina
37. Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero
38. Confluence University of Science and Technology, Kogi
39. Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba
40. Kwara Polytechnic, Kwara
41. Kwara State College of Education Oro
42. Lagos state university of education
43. Lagos State University of Science and Technology
44. Lagos State University
45. Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia
46. Nasarawa State University Keffi
47. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Uniersity Lapai
48. Niger State Polytechnic Zungeru
49. Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic
50. Olabisi Onabanjo University
51. Tai Solarin University of Education
52. Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa
53. D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic Itori-Ewekoro.
54. Gateway ICT Polytechnic Saapade
55. University of Medical Sciences, Ondo
56. Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State
57. Government Technical College Ile-Ife 58. GTC, ARA Osun State
59. GTC, GBONGAN Osun State
60. GTC, IJEBU-JESA Osun State.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has granted another extension for its Student Loan Application Portal to accommodate institutions that requested additional time for the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to the statement signed by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Ms Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, on Thursday, the extension applies only to institutions that submitted formal requests, allowing eligible students extra time to complete their applications.
“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has approved an extension of its Student Loan Application Portal for institutions that have formally requested additional time for the 2025/2026 academic session,” the statement read.
Business Post reports that at the beginning of March, NELFUND announced an extension to the deadline by a week for its student loan application portal following a notable rise in nationwide interest driven by ongoing awareness campaigns.
Speaking on the development, NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, reiterated the Fund’s commitment to ensuring that eligible students at participating institutions can access the student loan programme.
“NELFUND remains committed to ensuring that eligible students across participating institutions have the opportunity to access the student loan programme,” he said.
The Fund urges students in affected institutions to take advantage of the extension and submit their applications through the official portal.
It also emphasised its dedication to transparency, accountability, and providing sustainable financing solutions to remove financial barriers to higher education in Nigeria.
Established to administer the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme, NELFUND was enacted into law by President Bola Tinubu in April 2024.
The initiative provides interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition and living expenses.
Beneficiaries are required to repay the loans after completing their education and securing employment, aiming to increase access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has inaugurated a Curriculum Review Committee aimed at strengthening taxation education in Nigerian academic institutions and improving the country’s tax administration system.
According to a statement, the committee was inaugurated on February 24, at the NRS Academy in Durumi as part of the agency’s broader efforts to modernise tax education and align academic training with the evolving demands of contemporary tax administration.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Director of the NRS Academy, Mr Adeolu Akinyemi, said the review exercise would involve collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) to develop a more structured and relevant curriculum for the academy.
He emphasised that the initiative seeks to ensure that taxation programmes taught in Nigerian institutions reflect current developments in tax policy and practice, while also equipping students with the practical knowledge required in today’s tax administration environment.
The committee has been tasked with examining existing taxation curricula across Nigerian institutions and proposing updates that incorporate modern tax policies, recent legislative changes, and emerging areas such as digital taxation and global tax practices.
Officials say the review is also designed to close the gap between theoretical classroom instruction and the practical realities of tax administration.
By strengthening the link between academic learning and professional practice, the revised curriculum is expected to better prepare graduates for careers in the tax sector.
The effort is further expected to enhance tax awareness among citizens, encourage voluntary tax compliance, and support the development of skilled tax professionals who can contribute to national revenue generation and economic growth.
The committee is chaired by Mrs Aisha Hamman Mahmoud, Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of the NRS on Research and Statistics. Its membership includes representatives from the service as well as academic experts in taxation and fiscal policy, alongside professionals with experience in tax administration, policy formulation, and tax education.
The committee will work with relevant educational regulatory agencies and professional bodies to ensure that the proposed curriculum aligns with national academic standards while addressing the practical needs of Nigeria’s tax system.
The NRS stated that the initiative forms part of its ongoing commitment to expanding tax knowledge, strengthening professional capacity, and promoting responsible tax practices across the country.
The curriculum review exercise is expected to be completed within 60 days, after which the Service plans to provide further updates on the implementation of the revised programme.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The first batch of Nigerian undergraduates to enjoy fully paid scholarships for studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses across the continent has been chosen by Airtel Africa Foundation.
Business Post gathered that 70 students from universities across Nigeria were selected from thousands of applicants through an independently managed process, which took nearly six months.
It was learned that most of the undergraduates were from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), the University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU Zaria), and the University of Nigeria (UNN).
The scholarship covers tuition, laptop computers, living expenses, and essential learning resources, a statement from Airtel Africa Foundation disclosed.
The chairman of the foundation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, speaking at the presentation of the scholarships to the beneficiaries at the Lagos headquarters of Airtel Nigeria, emphasised the need for initiatives such as the Airtel Africa Foundation’s undergraduate tech scholarship for the future of the continent.
“True legacy is not measured by the awards we win or the volume of SIM cards we sell; it is measured by the lives we save, the people we feed, and the students we support when the line between success and failure is at its thinnest.
“At the Airtel Africa Foundation, we believe that lifting people out of poverty is the ultimate benchmark of a great company. Today, we are writing that legacy by tilting the balance in favour of the brilliant but underserved, ensuring that the fourth industrial revolution, driven by AI and Data Science, is built by African talent for the African continent,” he stated.
Mr Ogunsanya further revealed that this fellowship, executed through Airtel Nigeria, is designed to bridge the gap where funding, skills, and opportunity often fail to meet.
In addition to the N500,000 yearly budget for the fellows’ four-year or five-year courses, each fellow would be integrated into a structured support system for academic guidance and career mentorship, intended to ultimately transition students from the classroom to the global tech workforce.
Addressing the students, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, stressed that youth development is a strategic imperative for Airtel.
“At Airtel Nigeria, we view youth development as essential nation-building. When young people succeed, innovation accelerates, and social stability improves.
“By connecting these brilliant scholars to knowledge, skills, and confidence, we are fulfilling our core mission to connect people to opportunity. To our recipients: you earned your place here through merit and discipline. You are now ambassadors of excellence, and we expect your leadership to be defined by your conduct as you help shape a more inclusive digital future for Nigeria,” the Airtel Nigeria chief said.
The Nigerian cohort joins a prestigious network of Airtel Africa Foundation fellows currently studying in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and India.
The initiative underscores a broader commitment to technology education, youth development, and Nigeria’s digital economy.
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