Author: Amina Ibrahim

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the disbursement of a total of ₦86.3 billion loan to 449,039 students since the scheme was launched on its portal on May 24, 2024. According to the latest daily status report released on Monday, August 11, 2025, the scheme disbursed the loan as of August 6, 2025. The Fund noted that “the scheme delivers on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of empowering every Nigerian student through access to higher education funding.” It said the disbursement included ₦47,629,338,384 paid directly to 218 institutions as tuition fees and ₦38,718,120,000 given to students as…

THE Federal Government has firmly rejected any arrangement with the United States to receive deportees under President Donald Trump’s revived “third-country deportation” policy, stressing that Nigeria will not follow the path of Rwanda, Eswatini, or South Sudan. Speaking to this newspaper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed that Abuja’s position remains unchanged, citing national security and economic implications. Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed in July that Washington was applying “considerable pressure” on African nations to take in Venezuelan nationals, some directly from U.S. prisons, whose home country refuses to accept them. “This is unacceptable,” Tuggar said. “It…

FIRST Lady, Oluremi Tinubu has donated N1 billion to support victims of the recent flooding in the Mokwa local government area of Niger state. The donation was made through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), the First Lady’s flagship humanitarian project, during a condolence visit to the state on Tuesday. According to a post by the senior special assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, via her verified X handle (@KukoyiBusola), the First Lady presented a cheque for the sum and a consignment of relief materials to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago at the Government House in Minna. “First Lady…

BRITISH politician and Conservative Party minister, Kemi Badenoch, has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian, despite her ancestral ties and upbringing in the country. In a candid interview on the Rosebud podcast hosted by Gyles Brandreth, Badenoch revealed she hasn’t held a Nigerian passport for more than two decades and now sees the United Kingdom as her true home. News Point Nigeria reports that born Olukemi Adegoke in Wimbledon, London in 1980 to Nigerian parents, Badenoch spent much of her early life in Lagos and the United States before moving to the UK at the age of 16. Despite…

HOSPITALS across Nigeria are bracing for a nationwide shutdown as nurses under the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions Sector, commence a seven-day warning strike beginning Wednesday, July 30, 2025. The strike action, which will paralyse healthcare delivery in at least 74 federal medical centres, teaching hospitals, specialist health institutions, state-owned hospitals and primary healthcare centres across the country, is being staged in protest over long-standing issues including poor remuneration, staff shortages, unimplemented allowances, and unsafe working conditions. The union had on July 14, 2025, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding immediate…

THE Federal Ministry of Education, led by Minister Tunji Alausa, has announced a new directive setting 12 years as the minimum entry age for pupils enrolling into Junior Secondary School (JSS1) after completing the standard six years of primary education. News Point Nigeria reports that the new guideline was unveiled in a comprehensive policy document on non-state schools, recently released by the ministry to streamline and standardise the educational journey of Nigerian children especially in the fast-growing private education sector. According to the document, basic education in Nigeria will now span nine years: six years of primary school followed by…

A PROFESSOR of Science and Technology Education, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Chibuogwu Virginia Nnaka, has revealed the central role of professional teacher education towards dismantling systemic gender barriers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and careers. Nnaka, a renown advocate for gender equity in science and technology education, disclosed this while delivering the 34th Inaugural Lecture of the university, titled, “Professional Teacher Education: A Catalyst for Widening the Gateway to Gender Equity in STEM Education and Careers.” The lecture, which took place on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at the NOUN headquarters in Abuja, dwelt on achieving…

THE Federal Government has approved the pensions for retired aviation workers after almost 22 years of waiting. In a statement shared by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) via its official X account on Tuesday, the Agency said that the Ministry of Aviation has confirmed that disbursements will begin soon, with a pledge to ensure transparency and fairness throughout the process. “The Federal Government has approved the long-awaited pensions for retired aviation workers, bringing long-overdue relief to thousands who served in the sector. This decision follows years of advocacy by unions pushing for justice for retirees, especially from defunct national carriers.…

FORMER military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing him as a brother, friend, and a true patriot whose life was defined by unwavering commitment to the nation. In a personally signed statement, Babangida expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the former head of state and two-term civilian president, saying the news was received with a heavy heart. “Our paths crossed in 1962 when we both joined the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna,” he recalled. “From those early days, Muhammadu stood out quiet yet resolute, principled yet…

THE Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has attributed the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries to some federal government workers to a technical network glitch experienced during salary processing, particularly affecting accounts domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc. In a statement issued on Friday by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director (Press and Public Relations), the OAGF acknowledged recent complaints by employees across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) who have yet to receive their June salaries. “The OAGF is currently working closely with the relevant service providers and stakeholders to ensure that the failed payments are…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has warned that rising input costs across key sectors could spark a new wave of consumer price inflation, as businesses continue to absorb cost pressures that may soon become unsustainable. This was disclosed in the June 2025 Purchasing Managers’ Index report released by the apex bank. According to the report, the input price indices for the composite economy, as well as for the Industry, Services, and Agriculture sectors, exceeded their respective output price indices during the review period. The development, the CBN noted, signals mounting pressure on business margins, with firms currently absorbing costs rather…

MINISTER of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa says the Federal Government has pegged the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions at 16 years. Mr Alausa spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the 2025 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. ”This policy decision reflects a balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness. 16 years is non-negotiable,” he said. He noted that provisions existed for clearly documented and justified exceptions like gifted children with accelerated educational progress. He warned institutions against attempting to circumvent the rule by altering age records, stressing that such acts would attract sanctions. The…

IN a significant policy shift, the United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that all Nigerian applicants seeking F, M, and J category nonimmigrant visas, typically granted to students and exchange visitors must now make their personal social media profiles public as part of a tightened visa vetting process. The new requirement, which took effect immediately, was announced on Monday via the mission’s official account on X (formerly Twitter). “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public,’” the…

THE Federal Government has arraigned Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, The government arraigned the female lawmaker on Monday on six counts bordering on alleged cybercrime against the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator pleaded not guilty and Justice Mohammed Umar granted her bail on self-recognition. The judge adjourned the case to September 22, 2025 for commencement of trial. Applying for bail, her counsel, Roland Otaru (SAN), had requested that she be granted bail on self-recognition as a Senator of the Federal Republic…

THE National Youth Service Corps has denied extending the service year of a Lagos corper, Rita Uguamaye, also known as Raye, for criticising the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This newspaper reports that Raye became an Internet sensation following her public criticism of the present administration, which she described as worsening economic conditions. Uguamaye had, in a viral video shared on her TikTok account, @talktoraye, expressed frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, lamenting the high inflation and economic hardship. Uguamaye had also criticised the President by describing him as a “terrible leader” while questioning the government’s efforts to alleviate the…

THE Federal Government has suspended two personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over attempts to procure international Passport for an inmate. The suspension was announced in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Umar Abubakar. Abubakar, a Deputy Controller of Corrections, described the incident as a misconduct “detected through the automated passport application and other holistic reforms within the Nigeria Immigration Service.” He also said the detection of the misconduct was as a result of interagency collaboration in the Ministry of Interior. Abubakar who explained that the incident happened a fortnight ago, added…

THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed an agreement for the implementation of the Startup Hub Project with Chief Consultant, Consortium of Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd., Intem Consulting Inc. and Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd, engaged by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the execution of the project. It could be recalled that on 10th April, 2025, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, signed the MoU on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, while Mr. Yuzurio Susumu, Chief Representative of JICA Nigeria Office signed on behalf of the Japanese government to foster innovation, support…

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public against investing in Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT. In a statement on Wednesday, the Commission flagged the duo as unauthorised crypto assets, adding that the promoters or issuers of Zugacoin and Samzuga GPT were not registered to operate in any capacity in the Nigerian capital market. It also noted that the cryptocurrencies were not approved for issuance to the public. “Preliminary investigations revealed that ZUGACOIN and SAMZUGA GPT are Meme coins. Meme coins generally have no use case, intrinsic value, or tangible projects backing them. “Any attributed value to meme coin…

THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 11 new cases of Lassa fever, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease this year to 143. According to the agency’s latest situation report, the new cases were recorded in week 23 of 2025 in Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, and Taraba states. One healthcare worker was also infected during the same period. The NCDC noted that the current case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 18.9 per cent, up from 17.8 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024. “This year’s CFR is concerning as it indicates a higher fatality…

THE Accountant General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, on Monday said that the ongoing salary crisis affecting federal tertiary institutions was caused by a rushed and uncoordinated migration from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). Ogunjimi, who spoke at an interactive session in Abuja with vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and heads of regulatory bodies, said the migration failed to follow established technical guidelines, resulting in delayed salary payments, irregular third-party deductions, and unremitted pension contributions. “Failure to comply with the recommendation to prepare a trial payroll for the remaining two…