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Only Kebbi offers 100% free education nationwide – Idris

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The Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, has said only his state in Nigeria provides free education and scholarships to students studying within and outside the country.

Idris disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Matters, Mr Sunday Dare, in Government House, Birnin Kebbi, on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the SSA was accompanied by the National President, National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr Olusola Oladejo.

NAN also reports that the students were in Kebbi to inaugurate the newly elected executives of the Kebbi National Students’ Association.

The governor told the visitors that he had paid about N2.7bn to settle the tuition fees of both students studying within Nigeria and those studying in foreign countries.

He said, “It might interest you to note that it is only Kebbi that offers total free education in Nigeria.

“We pay tuition fees for all our students up to secondary and tertiary institutions.

“Recently, I paid N2.7 billion tuition fees for both students studying across tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria.”

According to Idris, his administration offers total scholarships to the students, adding, “We are doing this to remove the stress and burden from the parents.

He added, “Some parents may have more than three children in tertiary institutions.

“If the money is too much, some parents might not be able to shoulder the school fees, especially in this period where many tertiary institutions have increased their tuition fees.

“That is why we deem it fit to shoulder the responsibility of free education, scholarships to all our students.”

Idris added that the feeding money for students across boarding schools in the state had been increased from N150m to N300 million monthly.

In line with his administration’s efforts to raise the standard of teaching and learning, the governor said the embargo on employment had been lifted, where about 5,000 qualified teachers were gainfully employed.

“To enhance the learning environment, my administration has rehabilitated 2,004 primary and secondary schools, while over 340 new ones were constructed,” he revealed.

Speaking on infrastructure, the governor lauded President Bola Tinubu for supporting the state to record tremendous achievements in roads construction.

He cited the construction of the 1,008-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway as one of the legacy projects of Tinubu, expressing happiness that Kebbi would be the major benefiting state, with about 280 kilometres to be constructed.

While thanking the President for revoking the 87-kilometre Koko-Zuru road contract, the governor observed that the revocation had paved the way for Kebbi to execute the project for quick delivery, and it is expected to be repaid later.

Idris also commended Tinubu for his foresight in introducing the students’ loan scheme, which was not done before in the history of Nigeria, adding that his administration was replicating the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the state.

Earlier, the SSA to the president on students’ matters commended the state government for implementing free education and full scholarships for students in the state.

On his part, the NANS national president applauded the state governor for the construction of four mega schools, which spread across the four Emirates of the state.

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Education

PHOTOS: 200-level Niger State varsity d!es after collapsing in her off-campus residence

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A 200 level student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, has d!ed after collapsing in her off-campus lodge.

The deceased, identified as Adamu Fatima Muhammad, with matriculation number U23/FNS/BCH/1093, was a student of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Eye Witnesses said Fatima suddenly fell ill at her residence outside the university campus in Lapai and was rushed to the General Hospital, Lapai, where she was later confirmed d3ad.

According to the source, the deceased had earlier lost both parents and was living with her guardian in Suleja, Niger State, alongside her only surviving brother.

“She was a humble and dedicated student. Her passing is a tragedy that has thrown the entire university community into mourning,” the source said.

Fatima was buried in Lapai on Monday according to Islamic rites.

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Education

PHOTOS: School collapse in Indonesia leaves three de@d, 38 missing

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At least three students have been k!lled and dozens are missing following the collapse of an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s East Java province, authorities have said.

National Search and Rescue Agency head Mohammad Syafii said as of 12.30pm (0530 GMT) on Tuesday, “the number of victims is 102 people, consisting of 99 survivors, 3 deaths”.

Rescuers are searching for 38 people believed to be trapped under the rubble following the building collapse, the National Agency for Disaster Management said.

Eleven people have been rescued from the rubble, and 91 others managed to escape, the disaster management agency said.

Seventy-seven victims were taken to several hospitals in the area for treatment for their injuries, according to the agency.

“Efforts to assess the site, monitor the remaining building structure, and prepare evacuation routes for victims are the primary focus of the teams on the ground,” the agency said in a statement on social media.

The agency added that the incident called attention to the need for the “strict implementation of construction safety standards”.

“The public and managers of multistorey buildings are urged to ensure technical supervision during construction to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” it said.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, a separate body, had earlier reported that “provisional data” indicated that 100 students were caught up in the collapse, of whom all but one had been located alive.

Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School, in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed at about 3pm on Monday as students were gathering for afternoon prayers.

Authorities say the school’s foundation pillars gave way as crews were concreting the fourth floor of the building, trapping dozens of people under debris.

The incident is the second building collapse in Indonesia in less than a month.

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Education

NELFUND closes 2024/2025 loan portal, sets timeline for next application

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund said the application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session will officially close on Tuesday.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.

Sawyerr said this was to allow the Fund to conclude processing of pending applications and upkeep payments.

He also announced timelines for the 2025/2026 academic cycle, in line with its mandate to expand access to higher education through interest-free student loans.

According to him, the loan portal will reopen in the second week of October for fresh applications and remain open until January 2026.

”NELFUND remains committed to removing financial barriers for students and working with institutions to ensure that no eligible student is left behind.

“These timelines provide clarity for students, parents, and institutions to plan and participate fully in the process,” Sawyerr said.

The managing director directed institutions to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System to enable applicants access the scheme.

He added that all unverified applications for 2024/2025 would be automatically cancelled after Oct. 8, noting that students affected would be required to reapply under the new session.

He warned that institutions that failed to verify students’ records risk being publicly listed for non-compliance.

On upkeep stipends, Sawyerr explained that the payment for the 2024/2025 session would continue until November, adding that students were expected to reapply for 2025/2026 to continue receiving payments.

On repayment terms, he reiterated that the scheme remained interest-free while repayment would begin two years after completion of the National Youth Service Corps, with employers mandated to deduct 10 per cent of beneficiaries’ salaries.

He further expressed concern over arbitrary hikes in tuition and ancillary fees by some institutions, noting that a committee set up by the Minister of Education is working with regulators to harmonise and standardise fee structures across institutions.

Responding to concerns about upkeep stipends, he said the current ₦20,000 monthly allowance would not be increased immediately.

Sawyerr said an ongoing review of cost-of-living indices across different regions could however lead to weighted adjustments in future.

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