Equity MEDIA

The Nigerian Air Force struck ISWAP's operational base at the repurposed Jilli Market in Borno. Anyone patronizing that market was either enabling terrorists or part of their economic network. ISWAP doesn't operate in isolation, so neither can the state's response.

Thank you to Gov. Zulum & Gen. Buratai for steering discourse away from false narratives.

Let’s be guided.

— Dahiru Bashir Hassan

Education Without Barriers: President Tinubu’s Fulfilled Promise of NELFUND

Nigeria’s education system has, for decades, wrestled with a painful paradox. It is a nation blessed with a young, energetic population, yet millions of its young people are unable to advance beyond secondary school.

An estimated 88 per cent of eligible secondary school completers do not proceed to higher education in universities or other tertiary institutions. In practical terms, for every 100 students who finish secondary school in Nigeria, about 88 will likely not continue to university. For many of them, the barrier is not ability, ambition, or even access to admission. It is finance.

Across the country, the story repeats itself in countless households. A student secures admission after years of hard work, only to discover that the family cannot afford the tuition. In other cases, parents who are already stretched by rising living costs must make a painful choice: should their child continue their education, or begin working to support the family’s survival? Dreams are deferred. Potential is stifled. Futures are forcefully reshaped by sad economic realities.

Even for those who make it into university, the struggle often continues. On average, about 20 per cent of Nigerian students drop out before completing their studies, and roughly half of those withdrawals are due to financial difficulties. These are young Nigerians who began their academic journey with hope and promise, only to see it interrupted by economic hardship.

This should not be seen from the lens of a mere tragedy to affected families—it is a tragedy on the national scale. Nigeria’s aspiration to build a technologically advanced and economically viable nation depends on a workforce equipped with the right skills, knowledge, and training. A country rich in human and natural resources cannot afford to have its brightest minds sidelined because of school fees.

It was against this backdrop that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during the 2022 and 2023 campaign season, as Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress made a clear commitment: the era in which indigent Nigerians are denied education because of school fees would come to an end. Within the first few months of assuming office, that commitment began to take institutional shape with the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, widely known as NELFUND.

NELFUND is designed as an interest-free education loan scheme to support students in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria. It covers full tuition and institutional fees, which are paid directly to the institutions, while also providing a monthly upkeep allowance of N20,000 paid to students. Applications are processed through an online portal, creating a transparent and accessible system for students across the country.

The funding framework behind NELFUND reflects an effort to ensure sustainability and accountability. The scheme draws from one per cent of collections by the Nigerian Revenue Service, contributions from TETFund amounting to over N71 billion so far, and recovered proceeds of crime, which have contributed more than N50 billion so far.

Since its commencement, the scale of intervention has been significant. Over N180 billion has been disbursed nationwide. Of this amount, N107.09 billion has been paid directly to 265 tertiary institutions to cover tuition and institutional fees, ensuring that students remain enrolled without the threat of expulsion over unpaid charges. Another N76.80 billion has been paid directly to students as monthly upkeep allowances, helping them manage living expenses while they focus on their studies. In total, 1,560,460 loan applications have been received from across the country, and close to one million Nigerian students have already received direct financial support to stay in school.

What distinguishes NELFUND is not only the scale of its funding but the humane structure of its repayment terms. The loans carry zero interest and require no collateral. Repayment does not begin immediately after graduation; instead, it starts two years after the completion of the National Youth Service Corps, and is structured through employer deductions. This built-in grace period gives graduates time to secure stable employment and establish themselves before any repayment obligation begins.

For many families, this has changed the equation entirely. When tuition is covered and students receive a modest but steady monthly allowance, the financial pressure on households is reduced. Parents can direct their limited income towards other essential needs, while students are freed from the constant anxiety of unpaid fees. The likelihood of dropping out decreases, and the probability of completing a degree increases.

Beyond the immediate financial relief lies a broader national impact. Each student who remains in school represents retained human capital. Each graduate who completes their education strengthens Nigeria’s capacity in fields such as technology, healthcare, engineering, agriculture, education, and entrepreneurship. Over time, the cumulative effect of keeping hundreds of thousands of students in schools can reshape the country’s economic and social trajectory.

In Nigeria today, NELFUND is addressing a long-standing barrier to young men and women achieving their deferred dreams and life ambitions of quality and accessible education. It recognises that education should not be determined by the size of a parent’s income but by a student’s ability and determination.

For decades, school fees have closed the doors on millions of capable young Nigerians. Today, through NELFUND, those doors are being reopened. As a matter of good principle, education should not stop because of money. NELFUND is ensuring that it no longer does.

– Femi Oreoluwa, is a journalist and writes from Lagos.

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NSA Leads Tinubu’s Delegation To Rivers, Commends Fubara as Federal Government Signals New Dawn for Ogoniland

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Tuggar Leads Talks with Burkina Faso Leader, Secures Release of Air Force Personnel

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Why President Tinubu Chose Matawalle To Handle The Kebbi Kidnap Crisis

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TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE, ORGANIZED BY A COALITION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, ON THE NEED FOR THE SENATE TO END THE UNNECESSARY DELAYS AND IMMEDIATELY CONFIRM ENGR ABDULLAHI GARBA RAMAT AS CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION (NERC), AT IMO HOUSE ABUJA, ON THE 10TH OF NOVEMBER, 2025.

Protocol,

Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

Silence in the face of injustice amounts to complicity. It is on this note that we have chosen to take a stand and speak courageously to power in order to put an end to the injustice that has trailed the unnecessary, inexplicable and inexcusable delay in confirming the nomination of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat as the Chairman of NERC by the Nigerian Senate.

Let this be on record that on the 22nd of October, 2025, Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe (Abia South), Chairman , Senate Committee on Power, after a thorough vetting exercise, presented the trio of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat, Mr. Abubakar Yusuf and Fouad Olayinka Animashaun as Chairman, Commissioner (Consumer Affairs) and Commissioner (Finance and Administration) respectively, of NERC.

However, instead of performing their statutory responsibility of screening and confirming appointments and nominations from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Senate decided to constitute a public obstacle to the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially in the Power sector. Apart from willfully sabotaging the power reforms as enshrined in the Renewed Hope Agenda, the action of the Senate under Senator Godswill Akpabio speaks eloquently about the integrity of our democratic institutions and their motives in the grand national scheme.

Our clandestine findings in this suspicious and questionable debacle indicates that some parliamentarians seeking regional influence, appear increasingly determined to act as obstacles to the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seeking instead to impose their personal interests on critical national appointments. Therefore, rather than supporting the administration in its efforts to build strong institutions and deliver progress, they resort to pressure tactics, intimidation, and the blackmail of appointees and nominees of Mr. President. This conduct undermines governance, erodes public trust, and sabotages our national development.

The delay in the confirmation of Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat, a seasoned and experienced professional, is reportedly due to the actions of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and his Deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin. Unfortunately, these two men are APC top leaders, who in public claim to support the President, but in private work against his decisions because of their personal political schemes. Sadly enough, no concrete reason(s) have been advanced to justify the prolonged delay in confirming this appointee.

It is deeply troubling that, according to credible accounts, this delay is not because Engr Ramat does not merit the job, nor is it in the national interest, but it is rather rooted in Senator Barau’s alleged political machinations and selfish interests. This is political terrorism and must not be condoned by Nigerians. Let us be clear, no individual, however politically positioned, should hold the nation hostage or subvert meritocracy for their personal ambition. The future of our power sector is far too important for petty political gimmicks. The power needs of Nigerians are too urgent (in fact, an emergency), and Mr. President’s reform momentum is also too critical to allow this form of internal sabotage to continue unchecked.

Engr. Abdullahi
Ramat, an experienced electrical energy reform and policy expert with over 10 years of working experience across diverse areas, deserves to be given an opportunity to contribute his quota to the reform efforts of Mr. President. As a multi-disciplinary professional with expertise spanning electrical engineering, electronics, telecommunications, and strategic management with core and subject-specific degrees in addition to a Ph.D. in Strategic Management, is undoubtedly most qualified and suited for the chairmanship of NERC. This commission will be a perfect niche for this talented Nigerian to demonstrate his immense proven capacity.

As a fellow of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN); a Harvard University alumni who served as the pioneer Managing Director of Kano State Metropolitan Agency (KASMA) as well as the current Director of AG Ramat Global Electrical/Electronic Ltd, amongst many other roles, he is ably qualified to drive the necessary reforms in the power sector which has been a national embarrassment due to failure of successive adminstrations to tackle the Power sector challenges headlong.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, our position is simple and straightforward. The Senate President should, as a matter of utmost national importance, address Nigerians and state categorically why an eminently qualified Nigerian is being treated this way despite the express appointment and nomination by Mr. President. What exactly is the problem, if not crude local politics? In fact, of all sectors, the power sector should be spared the unnecessary politics of selfish interests due to its strategic importance as driver of industrialization and economic growth.

Enough is enough. If Engr. Abdullahi Garba Ramat's confirmation is delayed for another 48 hours, we shall mobilize all unemployed Nigerian youths whose future is being compromised by the personal political ambitions of a few bad eggs, for a massive protest at the National Assembly and all offices of NERC until the will of Mr. President and indeed Nigerians are achieved, and the critical power sector is salvaged.

This is no empty threat at all. Nigerians are tired of playing politics with everything. So, since the leadership of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is on this base and shameless part, we will help to embarrass and expose their chicanery.

Thank you all for listening.

Signed:

Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince,

Convener,
Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI), on behalf of the Coalition

Akpabio, Barau, must stop sabotaging Engr. Ramat’s Nomination,” Group Demands

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