"Embrace Digital Skills, Seize NELFUND Opportunities" -Tinubu To North East Students

....FG Reaffirms Student-Centered Policies, Digital Skills Push For North East At Renewed Hope Engagement In Gombe

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to placing Nigerian students at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda, highlighting financial support through NELFUND, academic stability and digital skills development as key priorities.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students Engagement stated this at the Renewed Hope Student Leaders Engagement and Digital Acceleration Programme for the North East Zone, held at Gombe State University.

The engagement brought together Vice Chancellors, representatives of NITDA, NELFUND, the Energy Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education, student union leaders and hundreds of students from across the North East.

The presidential aide said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration was “listening to students, engaging with students, and creating opportunities for students.”

He described NELFUND as a historic intervention aimed at removing financial barriers to tertiary education, noting that students who previously struggled to pay tuition and other approved institutional charges can now access government-backed financial support, while eligible beneficiaries can also receive monthly upkeep allowances.

He said the objective was to ensure that no Nigerian student is forced to abandon education because of financial difficulties.

The SSA also highlighted what he described as a new era of stability in the nation’s universities, citing three years of uninterrupted academic calendars under the current administration.

“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are committed to ensuring that a four-year programme takes four years and a five-year programme takes five years. That is what our students deserve,” he said.

The programme, he noted, was not only an engagement with students but also a Digital Acceleration Programme designed to encourage young Nigerians to move from being consumers of technology to becoming creators, innovators and entrepreneurs.

He stressed that Nigeria’s emerging digital economy increasingly depends on knowledge, innovation, artificial intelligence, technology and digital skills.

The presidential aide also highlighted the Federal Government’s investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), describing it as an important pathway towards self-reliance and economic independence.

“Your Location Must Never Determine Your Destiny”

Addressing students across the North East, he urged them to maximise the opportunities created by technology and government interventions.

“Your location must never determine your destiny. Technology has opened doors that geography can no longer close,” he said.

He challenged student leaders to serve as a bridge between government and their peers by sharing information on NELFUND, scholarships and digital opportunities, while also providing honest feedback to government.

He urged the students to stay informed and engaged, acquire relevant skills, embrace technology and take advantage of available government opportunities.

“The future of Nigeria belongs to you,” he concluded.

The event attracted student leaders and representatives from across the North East geopolitical zone.