The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced the official opening of its student loan application portal for the 2025/2026 academic session, providing access to financial support for students across tertiary institutions in the country.
The agency said the application window will run from Thursday, October 23, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026.
This is contained a statement issued on Tuesday by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.
NELFUND urged fresh students to apply using their Admission Number or JAMB Registration Number in place of a matriculation number.
It appealed to tertiary institutions to show understanding regarding registration and fee payment deadlines for applicants awaiting loan disbursement.
“Institutional Institutions are encouraged to show understanding in enforcing registration and fee Flexibility payment deadlines for students awaiting loan disbursement
“Institutions that have not yet commenced their 2025/2026 academic session should Special Notice formally write to NELFUND with their approved academic calendar for scheduling flexibility
“NELFUND appeals to all institutions to consider temporary registration measures for students whose loan applications are being processed to ensure that no student loses access to education due to financial constraints,” the statement said.
The management of the Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, has dismissed claims circulating on social media that its governing council ignored former Ogun State governor and university founder, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, in the award of honorary doctorate degrees.
Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
The university, in a statement issued on Friday by its Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dapo Oke, described the reports as “malicious, misleading and deliberately crafted to sow discord”.
“For the avoidance of doubt, and to set the record unequivocally straight, the university affirms that its longstanding tradition has been to confer an Honorary Doctorate Degree on civilian Governors of Ogun State, in recognition of their executive stewardship and support for public education,” the statement said.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, handing over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the transfer of ownership of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, to the Federal Government, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, during the 17th Convocation of the formerly state-owned institution. | Credit: Taiwo Bankole.
According to the institution, the tradition is a matter of public record, noting that Daniel, the founder of the university, was honoured as the first serving governor to receive the award in 2010.
“His successor, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was similarly honoured,” the statement added.
The university explained that the scope of its honorary awards also extends beyond state governance to recognise individuals with outstanding national and global contributions.
It recalled that during its 10th anniversary in 2015, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and other notable Nigerians, including Sir Kensington Adebutu, Asiwaju Adebola Adegunwa and Dr Tunde Lemo, were honoured.
“In this established context, the recent conferment upon His Excellency, Prince (Dr) Dapo Abiodun, CON, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, is neither anomalous nor extraordinary. It is a continuation of a consistent institutional practice applied to all civilian Governors of the State,” the statement said.
On former governor Olusegun Osoba, the management stressed that his contributions remained highly valued.
“His signature, as Governor during the Third Republic, enacted the legislative bill that transformed the former Tai Solarin College of Education into a degree-awarding institution — a pivotal act in our institutional metamorphosis,” it stated.
The university further clarified that the conferment of honorary degrees was not limited to governors alone, noting that all paramount rulers in Ogun State and other distinguished Nigerians had also been honoured over time.
The management condemned what it described as attempts to distort facts and urged the public to disregard the misinformation.
“We affirm our unwavering commitment to recognising excellence and distinguished service in accordance with our established traditions and institutional prerogative,” the statement said.
The clarification comes amid social media debates suggesting that Daniel was sidelined in the university’s honorary awards, a development linked by observers to ongoing political disagreements between the Ogun State Government and the former governor, despite both belonging to the All Progressives Congress.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that TASUED announced plans to confer honorary doctorate degrees on First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and former governor Olusegun Osoba at its 17th convocation ceremony, scheduled to hold between January 23 and 29, 2026.
According to the university, Senator Tinubu will receive a Doctor of Science (D.Sc. Ed.) Honoris Causa in Childhood Education, Governor Abiodun a D.Sc. Ed. in Education Management, while Osoba will be awarded a D.Sc. Ed. in Political Science.
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.
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.
