Alausa urges NANS to mobilise 10 million votes for Tinubu’s re-election

By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has urged the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other student leaders to mobilise 10 million votes for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, saying the continuity of the administration’s education reforms is critical to sustaining gains recorded in student financing, skills development, infrastructure and access to tertiary education.

Alausa made the call in Abuja when the leadership of NANS and other student associations paid him a familiarisation visit.

The minister said Nigerian students had a direct stake in the 2027 election because policies being implemented by the present administration would shape their education, skills, employment prospects and future opportunities.

According to him, President Tinubu has demonstrated a strong commitment to young Nigerians through policies designed to address both immediate challenges and long-standing gaps in the education sector.

He said the administration’s interventions had gone beyond conventional investments 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 said the President’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 government investments in student accommodation, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), campus transportation, renewable energy and entrepreneurship.

According to him, more than N200 billion has been committed to expanding student accommodation, while over N150 billion has gone into TVET infrastructure.

He added that the Student Venture Capital Grant was helping students to transform innovative ideas into businesses and become job creators, with the government considering an increase in the grant ceiling in the next phase.

Alausa said the government was also addressing everyday challenges affecting students’ ability to learn and complete their programmes.

He disclosed that 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.

He added that 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 degree programme should take four years to complete.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Comrade Sunday Asefon, said the visit was aimed at strengthening direct engagement between the Presidency, the Ministry of Education and the organised student community.

He commended NANS and other student leaders for their advocacy on student welfare, saying their partnership with the government was essential to identifying challenges and finding practical solutions across tertiary institutions.

The NANS President, Comrade Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, commended President Tinubu and the Minister of Education for interventions, including NELFUND and TVET.

He said the student loan scheme had made a significant difference in the lives of beneficiaries, noting that the monthly upkeep allowance had become an important source of relief for students facing financial difficulties.

Akinteye, however, called on the government to sustain the initiative and address other challenges confronting students.

He raised concerns over the Federal Scholarship Awards, illegal admissions and accreditation challenges affecting students in some institutions.

The NANS president called for stronger regulatory action to protect students from institutions that admit candidates into programmes without the required approval or capacity.

He said student leaders were ready to collaborate with the government in addressing the challenges.

Responding, Alausa said the concerns raised by the student leaders were receiving the full attention of the Ministry of Education.

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.

According to him, the measures are aimed at ensuring that students are not admitted into unapproved programmes or left stranded after years of study.

He added that relevant agencies and stakeholders were being mobilised to implement the necessary corrective measures without unnecessary delay.

Alausa assured the students that the ministry would maintain an open channel of engagement with their leadership and continue to address issues affecting their education and welfare.

He said the Federal Government would remain focused on advancing President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in education, stressing that reforms, investment and opportunities for young Nigerians must be sustained.

The minister maintained that the administration’s goal was to ensure that young Nigerians acquire quality education, develop relevant skills, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to national development.