Minister showcases Tinubu administration’s milestones, announces massive disbursement for student loans
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has outlined the key achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, particularly in education and security, as the government approaches its second anniversary.
Speaking at a press conference, Idris emphasized the success of the student loan scheme, a major campaign promise of the president. Under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), 169,000 students have received N32.8 billion in tuition and upkeep allowances—N20 billion for school fees and N12.8 billion for living expenses.
The minister also revealed that President Tinubu has mandated ministers to present their scorecards to Nigerians as part of a broader effort to keep the public informed. These ministerial briefings, scheduled to continue weekly over the next three months, will provide a platform to explain policies, counter misinformation, and engage with stakeholders.
On national security, Idris reported significant progress in combating terrorism and banditry. In 2024 alone, the armed forces neutralized over 8,000 terrorists and bandits, arrested 11,600 suspects, and recovered more than 10,000 weapons.
He said: “President Tinubu is determined to ensure that his administration engages and communicates robustly, and this ministerial briefing series is one of the measures he has directed to achieve this goal.
“In 2024, we hosted 25 ministers at these briefings and reached millions of people in Nigeria and abroad on traditional and digital media platforms.
“These briefings are an opportunity to highlight and explain government policies, programmes, and actions; to simplify and contextualise these for the benefit of all citizens, interest groups, and stakeholders at large, while also decisively tackling misinformation and disinformation.
“Over the next three months, as we approach the second anniversary of the administration, we will bring honourable ministers to this platform, weekly.
“This year 2025 is a year of consolidation, a year for building on the gains we have seen in the first 19 months of the administration.”
