The Nigerian Education Loan Fund said it received over 745,000 applications for its interest-free student loan scheme, with 2,700 of the requests submitted in the last 24 hours.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this at the two-day Renewed Hope Student Leaders’ Engagement, organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement in partnership with the Rivers State Government, held at the University of Port Harcourt on Friday.

He said, “So far, we have over 745,000 Nigerians who have applied for this loan. Out of this number, we have over 400,000 students who are benefiting from this loan.

“They have their school fees paid at the tertiary level, and some of them who have applied for upkeep are receiving N20,000 per month, per session.

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“So far, we have disbursed over N80 billion to Nigerian institutions and Nigerians who are benefiting from the loan.

“We are receiving applications. In the last 24 hours, we had 2,700 applications. We are processing them.”

Sawyerr further said the law establishing NELFUND was recently repealed and re-enacted to allow funding from non-governmental sources.

“In other words, people who want to contribute to the fund from outside government, whether they are philanthropists, general donors, NGOs, people with special interest in education, they can bring their money into that fund for it to be dedicated to the provision of loans or even grants, if they want, to the students,” he explained.

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The NELFUND boss noted that the scheme offers two categories of loans — institutional loans to cover tuition and upkeep loans to support living expenses, saying both are interest-free, with repayment starting two years after completion of the National Youth Service Corps programme.

“If the payment is not complete and you lose your job the payment stops,” Sawyerr said, adding that employers have a statutory duty to deduct 10% from beneficiaries’ salaries once repayment begins.

“The only exception is that if you have your own business and you are paying yourself a salary, you are obliged to put the business or company that you set up to make those payments back to NELFUND,” he added.

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In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagement, Asefon Dayo, said the event was a platform to bridge the gap between the government and students.

“Our mission is clear: to engage student leaders meaningfully, inform them about the far-reaching reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in education and youth development, and hear from them directly,” Dayo said.

He further said NELFUND has significantly reduced the rate of dropouts in tertiary institutions and announced that the President had approved funding for 15 colleges of education, polytechnics, and universities to establish innovation hubs and entrepreneurship centres, including robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and electronics labs.

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line will from Monday, August 11, 2025, operate every 10 minutes, cutting the Marina to Mile 2 journey time to just 10 minutes. This represents an eight-minute reduction in travel time.

According to a press statement by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, the reduction in train headway will save commuters about 44 per cent in time and improve overall journey experience.

With the new schedule, Blue Line trips will increase to 90 from the current 72 on Mondays through Saturdays, while Sunday trips remain unchanged at 22.

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The Managing Director of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, attributed the achievement to new rolling stock procured by the Lagos State Government with Federal Government support.

Akinajo said, “We are excited to facilitate the increase in the number of trips since our commitment is to have a world-class, sustainable transport system that satisfies stakeholders and drives the growth of Lagos.”

She explained that the “increase in the number of trips and rolling stock foreshadows the operation of the entire Blue Line when the infrastructure is completed to the terminal point at Okokomaiko, in the last quarter of 2026.”

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The statement added that the Blue Line, which commenced passenger operations on September 4, 2023, has so far transported over five million passengers.

It also noted that the second phase of the Blue Line, currently under construction, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with passenger operations beginning in the first quarter of 2027.

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Richard Mills, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, on Friday addressed the recent changes to US visa policies and jointly called for increased awareness and compliance among Nigerian citizens.

The US had earlier imposed tighter visa restrictions on Nigerians. It revised its visa reciprocity schedule for Nigeria, limiting the validity of certain non-immigrant visas — including B1/B2 (business and tourism), F (student), and J (exchange visitor) categories — to just three months with single-entry access.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, Mills clarified that the new visa measures announced by the US Mission are not punitive, but rather part of a global effort to tighten security, enhance service delivery, and ensure compliance with US immigration laws.

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“Myself and the minister just had a very useful and productive discussion about US visa laws and how to communicate to the Nigerian people the importance of compliance with US visa laws,” Mills said.

The envoy underscored the enduring and strategic relationship between the two countries, emphasising that the US continues to welcome Nigerians for study, business, tourism, medical visits, and family reunions—but with the clear expectation that visitors respect visa regulations.

“Let me be clear, the United States values its very strong relationship with Nigeria and the many kinds of connections that exist between our two countries.

“US visas play a vital role in keeping these countries going and strengthening them

“Both governments want visitors to respect our national laws and regulations,” the ambassador said.

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Mills warned that visa misuse—such as overstaying or providing inaccurate information—undermines trust and can lead to severe personal consequences, including deportation or a lifetime travel ban.

“If you overstay, it can result in deportation and a lifetime ban on future travel to the US, which we don’t want to see Nigerian citizens face,” he said.

He urged applicants to be honest and transparent, stressing that “visa compliance is a cornerstone of mutual trust and respect between our two nations.”

Addressing concerns about the processing system, Mills revealed that the recent changes reflect the US administration’s security-focused review of global visa operations.

He noted that the US government requires more rigorous background checks, including access to Nigerian criminal records, to ensure applicants are properly vetted.

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“We needed to address some of the security vulnerabilities that we saw in our visa processing.

“The Nigerian government is working to find a mechanism so that we can have a better understanding of who’s before us when they apply for a visa,” Mills explained.

In addition, the ambassador stressed that compliance also applies to student visa holders.

“If you skip classes, if you leave your programme of study without informing your school, your student visa could be revoked,” he warned.

He concluded by encouraging Nigerians to visit the US embassy website for official guidance and support.

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“If you have any questions about our visa regulations or policies, don’t hesitate to go to our website. All Nigerians have access to it,” the envoy added.

The minister, in his remarks, praised the US embassy for taking the initiative to clarify its position directly with the Nigerian public.

“This brings me to believe that we need to come together at times like this to have a common position so that Nigerians can be better informed about what we do,” he said.

The minister described Nigerians as global travellers who frequent the United States more than almost any other destination and emphasised the importance of clear, accessible information about visa processes.

“Nigerians visit almost all parts of the world, and because we engage and we travel a lot, we feel that it is necessary to have information shared with us from time to time as it affects the travels amongst our people,” he said.

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Mohammed reaffirmed that the ministry will continue to work closely with the US Mission to ensure transparency, understanding, and public education on all consular issues.

“Let me recognise the mutual respect and partnership between Nigeria and the United States and its embassy to keep Nigerian travellers well informed about its visa and consular services,” he said.

He also dismissed the notion that the new visa processes were discriminatory, quoting the ambassador.

“Before coming to this office, we had engagements with Amb Mills, and what he has told me is that this is in no way punitive. It’s just to enhance service delivery between the two countries.”

The minister echoed the US position on the importance of complying with host country laws and urged Nigerians to uphold the country’s image abroad.

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“When someone comes into Nigeria, we expect that person to also comply with our laws here. So what I want to say here is that Nigerians must continue to demonstrate, as they do, a better sense of patriotism about their country and also show better compliance with not just our laws, but laws of other countries,” he said.

Mohammed added that the renewed engagement with the US mission reflects the Federal Government’s “New Hope Agenda,” aimed at fostering partnerships that benefit Nigerians at home and abroad.

“This is a new way of forging a better partnership and collaboration between the two countries.

“And the more we engage, the better it is for the two nations,” he said.

“The most important thing is that we remain two countries trying to forge better relationships for the benefit of both nations,” the minister concluded.
(PUNCH)