By Funmilayo Adeyemi THE NIGERIAN Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says it has disbursed the sum of ₦136,786,650.00 to the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (formerly University of Agriculture), Makurdi, Benue State, for the 2,222 benefitting students of the institution. Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director, NELFUND, disclosed this on Thursday, in Abuja. Sawyerr said that the disbursement of the fund underscored the Federal Government unwavering commitment to empowering Nigerian students. According to him, by investing in the education of today’s youth, NELFUND is building a stronger, more prosperous future for the nation. “This milestone serves as a testament to the impact of…
Author: National Record
A family in need in the Northeast ON 23 JANUARY 2025, we will launch the 2025 Nigeria Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP). The plan targets 3.6 million of the most vulnerable people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, requiring $910.2 million in funding. It underscores the urgent need for lifesaving interventions while laying the groundwork for resilience and recovery. It is a result of extensive consultations with affected people, government authorities, and partners, ensuring that our response is evidence-based and needs-driven. As we launch the Nigeria 2025 HNRP, we are reminded of the escalating challenges and the profound…
By Aderogba George THE ASSOCIATION of Resident Doctors (ARD) Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has expressed concern over the poor working condition and dilapidated infrastructure in hospitals across the nation’s capital. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the association’s president, Dr George Ebong, announced the commencement of a three-day warning strike. He described Wuse General Hospital as ‘an abandoned facility’, calling it a symbol of the neglect affecting healthcare facilities in the FCT. Ebong explained that the strike followed the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum, as well as an additional two-week extension granted to the FCTA management to address…
By Lydia Ngwakwe A SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Oladayo Amokaye, has advocated amendment of the 1999 Constitution to clearly define the status of local governments within the Nigerian federal system. Amokaye, who is a Professor of Private and Property Law, University of Lagos, made the call at the 20th Annual Adekunle Kukoyi Memorial Lecture, on Wednesday in Ikeja under the theme: “Usurpation of Powers and Functions: A Case Study of Local Government Administration and Autonomy”. Amokaye said that the definition was crucial, adding that local governments only existed in principles. He said that constitutional amendment would help in…
By Emmanuel Oloniruha THE INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Feb. 21, 2026 for the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during the commission’s first consultative meeting with leaders of political parties on Wednesday in Abuja. Yakubu, who recalled that the last FCT area council election was held on Feb. 12, 2022, said that by the effluxion of time, the tenure of the current chairmen and councillors ends 2026. He said that voting would take place in all the designated Polling Units (PUs) across the 68 constituencies…
By Kingsley Okoye THE MINISTER of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, says the Federal Government will not accept the N532 billion contract variation requested for by the contractors handling the Abuja International Airport second runway. Keyamo stated this when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation to defend the ministry’s 2025 budget. He said that the variation was against the initial N90 billion for execution of the project. The minister, while responding to a question on the reported stalled execution of the project, said that the contractor had moved to site after the initial release…
Says 1 Out Of Every 10 Children Staring At Death By Ishaq Zaki THE UNITED Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 250,000 out of 1.2 million children in Zamfara suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). The UNICEF Representative, Cristian Munduate, made this known at a news briefing, in Gusau on Wednesday, revealing that one out of every 10 children in the state was staring at death, while stunting among children aged between 0 to five years was at an alarming rate of 45.2 per cent. “We are here to address a pressing crisis affecting millions of children in Zamfara and across…
By Abiodun Lawal MORE than 1,300 students of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) received loans totalling N133 million from the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in 2024, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor says. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Kehinde, said at a news conference in Abeokuta on Wednesday that more funds were still being awaited for another batch of students numbering 1,638. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NELFUND’s establishment was part of the attention being paid to education in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s government. The loan scheme is aiming to help Nigerian students achieve sustainable…
By Ahmed Abba THE GOVERNOR Mai Mala Buni-led administration of Yobe is set to complete all ongoing physical projects in the state before the end of 2025. Alh. Abdullahi Bego, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, gave the assurance on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Executive Council meeting in Damaturu. Bego noted that the state government executed many projects and programmes that positively impacted the lives of the people. He explained that the projects, which cut across healthcare, agriculture, education, road construction, and empowerment, would be completed in 2025. The commissioner listed the projects to…
THE UNITED Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), originally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, says Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States will need $15 million to upscale the quality of life of their citizenry. The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms Christian Munduate, said this at a news briefing in Gusau on Wednesday shortly after holding an interactive session with stakeholders from Gidanwada Model Primary School in Bungudu Local Government Area. Munduate said that the governors of the three states needed to provide the matching grants to address the socio-economic challenges and provide quality life for their citizens. She regretted…