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NELFUND; Why freshers or new Students cannot enjoy loans before registration or matriculation

The Managing Director, Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr has explained why the Fund cannot pay institutional fees for new intakes before they complete their registration processes.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Sawyerr said that paying tuition for students who have not registered or matriculated could result in large-scale financial losses for the Fund.
“If we pay fees for students that have not entered, what if they changed their minds and they don’t go to the schools anymore?
“We cannot just say because somebody has been admitted to a school, and we will pay the fees before registering or matriculating,” he said.
According to him, doing so would amount to disbursing against intention, a practice he warned could be financially risky for the government.
“If we carry on like that, we could end up disbursing billions of naira, only to find out that they have dropped out, got admission to a school outside the country, gone to another school, or not doing that course again,” he said
The managing director added that another key challenge is the school admission process, where students needed a matriculation number to access the loan.
To resolve this, he said NELFUND was working closely with tertiary institutions to find a temporary solution, possibly allowing students to use their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration numbers as a substitute for matriculation numbers.
“There are many genuine students who have applied and they need matriculation number to be able to process their fees.
“The challenge is that, they cannot get their matriculation number until they have matriculated and they cannot matriculate until they have paid.
We are trying to work with the schools to see how those who have registered, can use their JAMB registration number, as a substitute,” he added.
The Managing Director also reflected on the Fund’s journey since its establishment, noting that several challenges had to be addressed before its operations could begin.
He recalled that the first law establishing NELFUND, signed on June 12, 2023, had several flaws, including the requirement for guarantors and income limits that excluded many households.
“One of the flaws was the requirement for a guarantor, which we saw as a difficult position to put students in;
“If you need a guarantor, it means that you need to go out and plead with somebody or pay somebody.
“The second was that, the 2023 Act stated that any family that had a household income in excess of N500,000 was not eligible.
“We all know that N500,000 is a very small amount of money for a household over a whole year.
“So, it meant that many people would not be able to apply for the loan.,” he said.
He added that the law also failed to consider how students would meet their basic needs after tuition payment, as it did not provide stipends for upkeep.
To address these issues, Sawyer said that President Bola Tinubu initiated a repeal of the initial law, leading to the drafting of a new Education Loan Act, which was passed and launched in May, 2024.
“From May 2024 when we started and now, we are delighted that, not for a single day has the site crashed, even as we received unanticipated high demand.
“We have been able to receive applications on a steady basis, process them, pay students and their institutions from what have been allocated to us,” he said
Sawyer expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his visionary leadership, saying NELFUND has become a lifeline for thousands of students who might, otherwise, have abandoned their education.(NAN)

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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas

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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, declaring that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, will be heading the council for a period of 2 years.

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The declaration follows the passing of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the state House of Assembly, and the signing of the same into law by the governor.

Recall that the lawmakers had amended Clause 5 of Section 28 of the Chieftaincy Law to make the Council chairmanship rotational among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

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While inaugurating the Council, Governor Makinde said he had consulted with the trio of the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun, with the three of them reaching a consensus that the chairmanship should start with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Ladoja.

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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun

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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun

The Inspector General of Police (I-GP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, has assured that the police remained committed to community policing to ensure that criminals were drastically reduced in the country.
The I-GP, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector of Police ( AIG) Zone 17, Dr Ajani Musibau, stated this at the Police Community Relations Committee ( PCRC) National Leadership Training and Conference on Thursday in Akure.
The theme of the conference is: “Inclusivity and Diversity: the New Leadership Paradigm.”
He said that security could not be achieved by only the police, but with the support from the community.
The I-GP stated that security was a joint work and responsibility of all, commending the current leadership of the Nigeria Police for a paradigm shift towards modern policing.
Also, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Mr Adebowale Lawal, said that bandits could not infiltrate the state due to community policing strategy embraced by the command.
He explained that bandits would have infiltrated the state through Kogi and Edo, but intelligence reports from members of PCRC had been a great help to the police command.
According to him, the support and logistics received from the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun and Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa had also motivated police personnel to work earnestly.
He said that effective community policing was a sure way to curb activities of criminals, and implored members of the public not to relent in their efforts to provide police and other security agencies with useful information.
Lawal also commended other conventional security agencies, forest guards and vigilantes for their support to the police in fighting bandits
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PCRC, Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji said that the conference was to strengthen leaders of PCRC in the South-West zone and encourage them to redouble their efforts and support in fighting crimes.
According to Mogaji, the occasion also enabled the association to appreciate Gov. Aiyedatiwa, I-GP, the AIG Zone 17 and the state Commissioner of Police.
He advised the participants to moblise other members of PCRC and orientate them on their roles to continue to fight crime in the country.
The PCRC national chairman asked Nigerians to respect the dignity of police and to be civil when interacting with them.
Mogaji said that the leadership training would be replicated in other geo-political zones of the country.
Also, Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Mr Gbenga Atiba, commended the PCRC , AIG Zone 17, and the Commissioner of Police for their unrelenting efforts to guarantee peace across the state.
Aiyedatiwa promised that the state government would give PCRC attention and continue to support police and other security agencies with appropriate logistics that would make policing more effective.
A guest lecturer, Comrade Yinka Folarin asked members of the public to give respect and dignity to members of the police, saying that they also had rights that must be respected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PCRC honoured Gov. Aiyedatiwa, AIG Zone 17 and the Commissioner of Police with awards. (NAN)

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Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told

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Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for improved welfare packages for armed forces personnel and all members of the security and intelligence community to aid their effectiveness and efficiency.

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National Chairman of PDP, Tanimu Turaki, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Thursday to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.

Turaki also urged the Federal Government to adequately fund security agencies to effectively neutralise those he described as agents of insecurity, and restore peace to the country.

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He expressed PDP’s condolences to the families of members of the armed forces who died in active service while executing their mandate of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“On a day like this, we acknowledge that they paid the supreme price for the continuous existence of our country.

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“We advise all actors, whether state or non-state, not to engage in actions capable of destabilising the country.

“In honour of those who have died to keep our country safe, we pray that their deaths may not be in vain and their labours not forgotten,” Turaki said.(NAN)

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