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Extend Loan Scheme To Students Studying Abroad, Nigerians In UK Beg FG

Published

1 year ago

March 10, 2024

Members of the Nigerian community in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom have pleaded with the federal government to extend its student loan scheme to Nigerians studying abroad.

They also urged the government to provide support for students regarding exchange rates and foreign exchange, ensuring that they have access to favourable rates and assistance in managing their financial needs.

Mr Tunmise Ajiboye, who represented the Nigerians in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom read the demand during a special occasion for the honour of the Acting Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Cyprian Heen on Saturday night.

In his words, “Our community is a testament to the strength and resilience of the Nigerian spirit, thriving and contributing to the fabric of society wherever we go.

“We are grateful to have with us tonight the esteemed Acting Nigeria High Commissioner, His Excellency Cyprian Heen, PhD. Your presence here is a symbol of the strong bond between Nigerians in the United Kingdom and the Government of Nigeria, and we are honoured to have the opportunity to engage with you and learn from your insights.

“Nigeria, with its vast resources, dynamic economy, and diverse population, plays a crucial role on the global stage. As Nigerians living in the diaspora, we are ambassadors of our homeland, carrying with us the values of hard work, determination, and community spirit that define us as a people.”

Mr Ajiboye continued “I stand before you today as a representative of Nigerians living here in the United Kingdom. We are gathered here not just as individuals seeking education and economic breakthroughs but as a collective voice demanding support and recognition from our government back home.

“We have chosen to seek greener pastures and we are often faced with numerous challenges and sacrifices along the way. Yet, despite the distance, our hearts remain connected to Nigeria, and our dreams are intertwined with the future of our homeland.

“It is important for the Nigerian government to always factor in, Nigerians in the diaspora in all their policy formulation, planning, and execution for a productive sense of belonging and pace of development.”

He sought for “Diaspora voting; international passport renewal delivery by post in Nigeria and the diaspora; Support for the students in exchange rate and FX; Inclusion of Nigerians studying abroad in the proposed student loan programme of the federal government; and Lastly, provide a platform for Nigerians living abroad who may want their children to get Nigeria’s state of origin.”

The Nigerians, however, emphasised the importance of providing a platform for Nigerians abroad to obtain documentation regarding their children’s Nigerian state of origin, enabling them to maintain their connection to their heritage and access essential services.

Headline

42 Killed In Israeli Attacks, Says Gaza’s Civil Defense

Published

11 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported at least 42 people killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday, as the Israeli army prepared for a new assault on the Palestinian territory’s largest city.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said there had been several air strikes around Gaza City — which the military is gearing up to capture — including one in the Al-Sabra neighbourhood that killed eight people.

Attacks were also reported elsewhere across the territory, he said, with the “total tally currently rising to 42 dead”.

The army did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the figure.

“The situation is extremely dangerous… Each day, each minute, there are bombings, martyrs, death and blood — we can’t take it anymore,” Al-Sabra resident Ibrahim Al-Shurafa told AFP, explaining strikes and shelling were ongoing.

“We don’t know where to go. Death follows us everywhere,” he added.

Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.

The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s offensive has killed at least 62,686 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.

AFP

Headline

Venezuela Frees Eight Opposition Leaders

Published

12 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Venezuelan authorities released eight opposition leaders from jail early Sunday, including a former congressman and two Italian citizens, and granted house arrest to five others, an opposition politician said.

Most of those released had been charged with corruption in opposition-run mayoral offices.

Also set free was Congressman, Amirico de Grazia, detained amid protests that erupted during President Nicolas Maduro’s reelection in 2024.

“Today, several families are once again embracing their loved ones. We know there are many left, and we have not forgotten them; we continue to fight for everyone,” two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said on X.

Opposition leaders Victor Jurado, Simon Vargas, Arelis Ojeda Escalante, Mayra Castro, Diana Berrio, Gorka Carnevalli, as well as Italian nationals Margarita Assenzo and de Grazia were released, Capriles said.

Nabil Maalouf, Valentin Gutierrez Pineda, Rafael Ramirez, Pedro Guanipa, and David Barroso were placed under house arrest.

The Italian government confirmed the release of de Grazia and Assenzo, who must appear in court to clarify the conditions of their release. It also vowed to continue working on securing the release of other detained Italians.

“We have always said, and we maintain it: we will talk to whomever we need to talk to so that there is not a single political prisoner in our Venezuela!” Capriles added.

AFP

Headline

Russia, Ukraine Exchange Prisoners Of War, Civilians

Published

12 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

Russia and Ukraine each sent back more prisoners of war on Sunday in the latest in a series of exchanges that have seen hundreds of POWs released this year, the two sides said.

Large-scale prisoner exchanges were the only tangible result of three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul between May and July.

They remain one of the few areas of cooperation between the two countries since Russia’s offensive began in 2022.

“On August 24, 146 Russian servicemen were returned from the territory controlled” by Kyiv, the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram.

“In exchange, 146 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were transferred” to Ukraine, it added. Ukraine did not confirm any figures for the release.

Russia also said that “eight citizens of the Russian Federation—residents of the Kursk region, illegally detained” by Kyiv were also returned.

Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August last year, seizing hundreds of square kilometres (miles) of territory in a major setback for the Kremlin.

Russia deployed thousands of troops from its ally North Korea as part of a counterattack but did not fully reclaim the region until April.

Among the Ukrainians released on Sunday was journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Khyliuk was kidnapped in the Kyiv region in March 2022. He is finally home in Ukraine,” Zelensky said on social media.

Also freed was former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko, “who spent more than three years in captivity,” Zelensky’s aide Andriy Yermak wrote on X.

“In 2022, he was on the list for return, but Volodymyr voluntarily refused to be exchanged in favour of a seriously ill prisoner with whom he was sharing a cell in a Russian prison,” Yermak said.

AFP