Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, on Thursday inaugurated the permanent site of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre at Yobe State University, Damaturu, saying the facility would strengthen medical research and innovation in the state.

Buni said the state government invested over N800m in the construction of the centre, also known as BioRTC, describing it as a major step towards positioning the university as a hub for biomedical research and international collaboration.

Speaking at the commissioning, the governor said the centre was designed to build capacity in biomedical sciences, support advanced research and close gaps in Africa’s medical research ecosystem.

According to him, much of Africa’s medical research has relied on findings from foreign environments that do not always reflect local realities.

‎“Africa has relied for too long on medical research conducted in different climates, environments, cultures, and lifestyles, often without adequate consideration for our peculiarities and genetic diversity,” the governor said.

He added that the facility would promote research that is accurate, inclusive and tailored to African health challenges.

The governor also disclosed plans by his administration to establish an additional dialysis centre in Gashua before the end of the year, noting that it would ease the burden of travel for kidney patients in the area.

‎“We have continued to support dialysis services, and the new centre in Gashua will reduce the hardship of long-distance travel for patients,” he said.

Buni further revealed that more than 1,000 participants from Yobe State, other parts of Nigeria and across Africa had benefited from BioRTC’s training programmes, including summer schools and workshops, fully funded by the state government.
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At the event, the governor announced a N30m cash award and full government scholarships for three Yobe indigenes who emerged winners at the TeenEagle 2025 competition held in London, United Kingdom.

The beneficiaries — Nafisa Abdullahi, Hadiza Kashim Kalli and Rukayya Mohammed Fema — are students of Nigerian Tulip International College who reportedly outperformed over 20,000 contestants from 69 countries.

Each of the students received N10m and was awarded a scholarship up to tertiary level.

‎“Their success reflects our sustained investment in education and human capital development,” he said.

He added that the state currently spends over N2.6bn annually on scholarships for 890 students at Nigerian Tulip International College, including the three TeenEagle champions.

Earlier, the Founder and Director of BioRTC, Prof. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, said the centre had attracted equipment donations worth over N10bn, providing a strong foundation for advanced research.

Also speaking, Prof. Amadi O. Ihunwo of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa said the centre was equipped with facilities for advanced cellular, molecular and neuroscience research that are rarely found in many African universities.‎‎

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has extended the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session to February 27, 2026.

The fund announced the extension in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, saying the earlier deadline of January 31, 2026, was shifted to give prospective applicants additional time to complete and submit their applications.

According to the Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the decision was taken to ensure that no eligible student is excluded from the process due to timing constraints.

“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced an extension of the application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic session from January 31, 2026, to February 27, 2026,” the statement read.

Commenting on the extension, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the move underscored the Fund’s commitment to inclusivity and access.

“This extension reflects our commitment to inclusivity and access. We understand that some applicants may require additional time to complete their submissions, and this decision ensures that every eligible Nigerian student has a fair opportunity to benefit from the Fund,” he said.

NELFUND urged students who are yet to apply or who have not completed their applications to take advantage of the extended deadline and ensure that all required information is submitted on or before February 27, 2026.

The fund added that further information and updates would be communicated through its official channels.

NELFUND was established to administer the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in April 2024.

Under the scheme, the Federal Government provides interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition fees and living expenses.

Applications for the programme opened in May 2024 to ease financial barriers to education, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds.

As of January 29, 2026, a total of N174,561,719,810 had been disbursed under the student loan scheme.

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that candidates currently enrolled in tertiary institutions can register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry, but must disclose their matriculation status, warning that failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of both admissions.

In a statement on Wednesday, signed by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said some “self-styled education advocates” had misrepresented the Board’s directives, causing confusion among candidates and parents.

“The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to a misleading and unfortunate distortion of a portion of the Board’s clear directives to candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE, as contained in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement.

This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests,” Benjamin said.

He noted that such individuals routinely surface at the commencement of every registration cycle.

“Many of them do not take the time to read or properly understand the guidelines, yet hastily rush to the public space with false narratives aimed solely at attracting traffic to their social media platforms,” he said.

Benjamin emphasised that it is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution, but failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence.

“For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, and in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple matriculations, the Board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable,” he said.

He explained, “It is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution. However, failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence. Disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically ceases to subsist. The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently.”

The adviser also highlighted that recent findings indicate that some matriculated students have been engaged as professional examination takers.

“Mandatory disclosure, therefore, expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” he said.

Benjamin added that although the Board’s system can detect prior matriculation, candidates who fail to disclose stand the risk of forfeiting both opportunities.

“The Board therefore urges the public to be cautious of these so-called education advocates who are perpetually eager to mislead candidates and parents for selfish gain. Members of the public are advised to carefully read official guidelines and avoid accepting distorted interpretations wholesale,” he added.

As part of its ongoing efforts to maintain examination integrity, JAMB earlier announced that registration for the 2026 UTME officially commenced on January 26.

It ruled that any Computer-Based Test centre whose registration activities cannot be monitored remotely will not be allowed to participate.

According to the Board, the measure, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” is part of efforts to curb registration infractions and restore the integrity of its examination processes.

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