The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has urged the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other student leaders to mobilise 10 million student votes for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Alausa made the call in Abuja when the leadership of NANS and other student associations paid him a familiarisation visit, stressing that Nigerian students had a direct stake in the 2027 election because policies being implemented by the administration would shape their education, skills, employment prospects and future opportunities.
The minister said continuity of the administration’s education reforms was critical to sustaining gains recorded in student financing, skills development, infrastructure and access to tertiary education.
According to him, President Tinubu has demonstrated a strong commitment to young Nigerians through policies addressing both immediate challenges and long standing gaps in the education sector.
He said the administration’s interventions had gone beyond conventional investment in classrooms to include student financing, accommodation, technical and vocational education, entrepreneurship, campus infrastructure and measures aimed at protecting the academic calendar.
Alausa identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the administration’s landmark interventions, saying about N200 billion had been committed to the scheme, with more than 1.6 million students benefiting.
He added that President Tinubu’s recent directives on additional funding sources would further strengthen the sustainability of NELFUND, assuring students that the monthly upkeep allowance would continue.
The minister also highlighted investments in student accommodation, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), campus transportation, renewable energy and entrepreneurship.
He disclosed that more than N200 billion had been committed to expanding student accommodation, while over N150 billion had been invested in TVET infrastructure.
Alausa said the Student Venture Capital Grant was helping students convert innovative ideas into businesses and become job creators, adding that the government was considering an increase in the grant ceiling in its next phase.
He said the government was also addressing everyday challenges affecting students’ ability to learn and complete their programmes.
According to him, renewable energy projects were being expanded across federal tertiary institutions to provide reliable electricity for laboratories, workshops, libraries and hostels, while additional campus tricycles would be deployed to ease transportation challenges.
The minister further said sustained engagement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was helping to maintain academic stability and advance President Tinubu’s commitment that a four year programme should take four years.
The President of NANS, Comrade Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, commended President Tinubu and the minister for interventions including NELFUND and TVET.
Akinteye said the student loan scheme had made a significant difference in the lives of beneficiaries, noting that the monthly upkeep support had become an important source of relief for students facing financial difficulties.
He urged the government to sustain the initiative.
The NANS president, however, raised concerns over Federal Scholarship Awards, illegal admissions and accreditation challenges affecting students in some institutions.
He called for stronger regulatory action to protect students from institutions admitting them into programmes without the required approval or capacity.
Akinteye stressed that student leaders were ready to collaborate with government to address the challenges.
Responding, Alausa said the concerns raised by the student leaders were receiving the full attention of the Ministry.
He assured them that issues capable of disrupting the education and future of Nigerian students would not be treated with levity.
The minister said the Ministry was working to resolve funding challenges affecting the Federal Scholarship Awards, strengthen admission processes and undertake a comprehensive review of the accreditation system.
He said the measures were aimed at ensuring that students were not admitted into unapproved programmes or left stranded after years of study.
Alausa added that relevant agencies and stakeholders were being mobilised to implement the necessary corrective measures without unnecessary delay.
The minister assured the students that the Ministry would maintain an open channel of engagement with their leadership and continue to act on issues affecting their education and welfare.
He said the government would remain focused on advancing President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in education, stressing that the promise of a better future for Nigerian youths would be sustained through reforms, investment and opportunities that enable young Nigerians to acquire quality education, develop relevant skills, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to national development.
