Tinubu's government gives out N372bn in student loans - APC PCC

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has announced that President Bola Tinubu's government has given out N372.62 billion in student loans. This also includes training for 156,446 people under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme.

In a statement from Dele Alake, the council's spokesperson and Minister of Solid Minerals, on Wednesday, they said these changes have helped more Nigerians access basic education. They also mentioned better support for teachers and a more stable academic calendar in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

As the presidential election on January 16, 2027, gets closer, critics from opposition parties have been questioning the achievements of President Tinubu’s government over the last three years.

Some opposition voices have criticized the education reforms, while others doubt the reported successes, asking what real impact they have on Nigerians.

In response, the APC PCC stated that the government has introduced free technical education. This includes covering tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms. These steps aim to improve vocational skills and create more job opportunities.

The statement said, "President Bola Tinubu’s reforms in the education sector since taking office have expanded access to learning, improved teachers’ welfare, and stabilised the academic calendar across higher institutions in the country."

The Federal Ministry of Education’s 2026 report on the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative shows that government actions cover basic and secondary education, technical and vocational training, and tertiary education.

The reforms focus on six main areas: technical and vocational education, science and medical sciences, out-of-school children, girl-child education, digitalization, and education quality assurance.

The report mentions that the Federal Government allocated a record N3.52 trillion to education in the 2026 budget. It also secured $552 million for the HOPE-EDU programme, aimed at 29 million children, over 500,000 teachers, and 65,000 public schools.

The APC PCC highlighted that the BESDA programme has brought over one million out-of-school children back to classrooms. It has also trained 1,400 Tsangaya teachers and set up 200 bilingual centres in 17 northern states.

The AGILE programme has reached 7.19 million girls, with 3.7 million enrolled in secondary schools. More than 10,000 schools have also received upgrades.

Alake mentioned that President Tinubu’s administration introduced a new national curriculum. This includes Nigerian History and strengthens Civic and Heritage Studies. The National Learning Assessment has been restored to check students' performance and find learning gaps.

The statement added, "Under EduRevamp, 53,553 teachers have registered, while 51,794 joined the first cohort of the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP). This is a six-month programme offering professional qualifications, certification, and licensing."

With N2 billion backing, the programme aims to reach 250,000 teachers by 2027. The Inspire Live initiative offers online lessons from Primary One to Senior Secondary School Three, supported by certified teachers and AI-assisted learning.

Under President Tinubu’s government, the TVET scheme has attracted over 2.8 million applications. Out of these, 156,446 verified trainees have received free training, monthly stipends, and start-up support.

Over N65.7 billion has already been given to trainees, while another N30.2 billion has gone to training centres. The government has also fixed 38 technical colleges and introduced free technical education that covers tuition, boarding, textbooks, and uniforms.

The APC PCC spokesperson noted that the Federal Government is investing N110 billion to fix 18 federal medical schools across the six geopolitical zones.

He added that nursing enrolment rose from 81,480 in 2023 to 114,300 in 2025. They approved 20 STEM-focused tertiary institutions and earmarked 12 engineering and technology faculties for rehabilitation.

The APC PCC also shared that the NELFUND programme has handled 1,659,853 student loan applications and distributed N372.62 billion. This includes N192.89 billion for tuition and N179.73 billion for upkeep across 319 tertiary institutions.

The government has settled the long-standing issue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). They have implemented an agreement for a 40 percent increase in academic staff pay and better welfare benefits.

Additionally, the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund has given out N28 billion to 15,000 workers in 153 public institutions. This offers eligible staff loans of up to N10 million for housing, healthcare, transportation, and education.

The Federal Government also provides N365 million every year for research and innovation through the National Laureate Prize. The Student Venture Capital Grant has given over N2.5 billion to 45 student entrepreneurs, with each person able to access up to N50 million in funding without equity.

The Campaign Council also mentioned that entrepreneurship certification is currently ongoing in 14 federal universities. The Diaspora BRIDGE initiative has registered 1,141 Nigerian professionals abroad and reached 16,675 students in 107 tertiary institutions.