Alausa Seeks NANS Support for Tinubu, Targets 10m Student Votes in 2027

Alausa Seeks NANS Support for Tinubu, Targets 10m Student Votes in 2027
Alausa Lists Tinubu’s Education Gains
Comrade Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, commended the government’s interventions, particularly NELFUND and TVET, saying the student loan scheme had provided relief for many beneficiaries

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has called on the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other student leaders to mobilise 10 million student votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that Alausa made the call in Abuja when the leadership of NANS and other student associations visited him as part of efforts to strengthen engagement between the government and the student community.

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The minister said Nigerian students had a direct stake in the 2027 election, arguing that the continuity of the Tinubu administration would be important to sustaining ongoing reforms in education.

According to Alausa, the administration has introduced interventions covering student financing, skills development, accommodation, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and access to tertiary education.

He identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the administration’s major initiatives, saying about N200 billion had been committed to the scheme, with more than 1.6 million students benefiting.

Alausa also assured students that the monthly upkeep allowance under NELFUND would continue, adding that President Tinubu had approved additional funding sources to strengthen the sustainability of the scheme.

The minister further disclosed that more than N200 billion had been committed to expanding student accommodation, while over N150 billion had been invested in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) infrastructure.

He said the government was also supporting student entrepreneurship through the Student Venture Capital Grant, which enables students with innovative ideas to develop businesses and create employment opportunities.

Beyond financial interventions, Alausa said the government was working to improve the conditions in which students learn by expanding renewable energy projects across federal tertiary institutions.

He said the projects would provide more reliable electricity for laboratories, workshops, libraries and hostels, while additional tricycles would be deployed to ease transportation challenges on campuses.

Alausa Seeks NANS Support for Tinubu, Targets 10m Student Votes in 2027 — Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa

The minister also pointed to the government’s engagement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying efforts were being made to maintain academic stability and ensure that students spend the expected 4 years on a 4 year programme.

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

The NANS President, Comrade Babatunde Afeez Akinteye, commended the government’s interventions, particularly NELFUND and TVET, saying the student loan scheme had provided relief for many beneficiaries.

However, Akinteye raised concerns over Federal Scholarship Awards, illegal admissions and accreditation challenges in some institutions.

He urged the government to strengthen regulation and prevent students from being admitted into programmes that lack the necessary approval or capacity.

Responding, Alausa assured the student leaders that the issues raised were receiving the ministry’s attention.

He said efforts were underway to address funding challenges affecting the Federal Scholarship Awards, improve admission processes and conduct a comprehensive review of accreditation to ensure students were not admitted into unapproved programmes.

Alausa also promised to maintain an open channel of communication with student leaders and continue addressing issues affecting students’ education and welfare.