The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has reopened its verification portal for the 2024/2025 academic session, giving tertiary institutions a final 48-hour window to complete pending student verification.

According to the Fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the portal will be accessible from 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 12, to 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

The extension is to ensure that all eligible students are verified as part of the ongoing loan application process.

Oluwatuyi said; “Institutions that fail to complete verification within the given timeframe will lose access to the 2024/2025 loan cycle, affecting their students’ eligibility.”

She also stated that NELFUND would publish the list of defaulting institutions, reaffirming its commitment to equitable access to higher education through transparent and inclusive management of the loan scheme.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced a Post-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme (PAVRDP) for all foreign nationals who failed to take advantage of the earlier amnesty period to regularise their stay or exit the country.

In an official statement signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, the programme is scheduled to begin on 13 October 2025, and all affected persons have been directed to report immediately to the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation.

According to the statement, each individual will have their circumstances assessed on a case-by-case basis before appropriate action is determined in line with the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015, and related regulations.

“Upon documentation, each individual will have his or her circumstances assessed on a case-by-case basis before an appropriate action is determined under the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015 and related Regulations,” he noted. 

He further emphasised that any foreign national who has breached the conditions of their visa and fails to report will be arrested, detained, and removed from Nigeria, as stipulated by existing immigration laws, and may face long-term entry bans.

He also warned that aiding or harbouring illegal immigrants constitutes an offence under Nigerian law. Breaching the conditions of regularisation of stay equally amounts to a legal violation. Individuals, companies, and organisations were therefore strongly advised to desist from such acts to avoid prosecution.

“The public may wish to know that aiding and harbouring illegal immigrants is an offense under the Nigerian law. The breach of the conditions of regularization of stay also constitutes an offense. Individuals, Companies, and organisations are therefore strongly advised to stop such acts to avoid being prosecuted,” Akinlabi remarked. 

Akinlabi reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to promoting humane, seamless, and orderly migration, ensuring compliance with extant immigration laws, and strengthening national security through effective migration management.

Nokai Origin, Abuja

In response to the increasing prevalence of deepfakes, disinformation, and malinformation, the Nigerian Army has urged journalists and media professionals to rely exclusively on its official social media accounts for credible and verified information.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, said the move is essential to counter the deliberate spread of false narratives that can undermine public trust and national security.

She emphasised that the verified platforms remain the principal source for updates concerning Army operations, engagements, and activities across the nation.

The official handles include: X: @NigeriaArmyInfo and @HQNigerianArmy, as well as Instagram: @NigerianArmyInfo and @HQNigerianArmy.

Others are: Facebook: NigerianArmyInfo and HQ Nigerian Army as well as YouTube: NigerianArmyInfoTV

She urged journalists and the public to follow and disseminate these verified accounts in order to bolster the efforts against misinformation and to safeguard the integrity of national security information.

By Mnena Iyorkegh, Abuja

Stakeholders from civil society, religious groups, government institutions, and development organisations have urged the Nigerian Government to fully implement the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy, describing it as essential to revitalising grassroots governance and promoting national development.

The appeal was made in Abuja during a National Dialogue Forum themed “Local Government Autonomy: Making It Work,” organised by the Change We Need Nigeria Initiative, a non-governmental organisation.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, traced the historical evolution of local government in Nigeria and noted that the third tier of government has become largely inactive in most states.

He explained that many local governments are run by governor-appointed administrators rather than elected officials, contrary to constitutional provisions.

Dr. Amadi described the Supreme Court’s judgment as a corrective step toward restoring democratic governance at the grassroots.

However, he observed that parts of the 1999 Constitution might need amendment to align with the Court’s position and ensure clarity in the legal framework.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu, General Overseer of the Charismatic Renewal Ministries, said that with genuine political will, the Supreme Court’s decision could transform governance in Nigeria.

He emphasised that independent electoral bodies, free from gubernatorial influence, are critical to credible local government elections.

Former Chairperson of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Ambassador Esther Audu, shared insights from her tenure, noting that community engagement and participatory governance are key to addressing rural challenges.

She called for greater accountability among local representatives and stronger collaboration between councillors and chairmen to promote responsive leadership.

Representing the President General of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Oluwasoji Tolulope identified the lack of local government autonomy as the sector’s greatest challenge.

He stated that genuine autonomy would resolve most operational, financial, and developmental issues at the grassroots and enhance national prosperity if supported by political will.

Head of Advocacy, Policy, and Communications at WaterAid Nigeria, Kolawole Banwo, highlighted inconsistencies in the constitutional framework governing local governments.

He called for the abolition of the Joint Local Government Account, constitutional amendments to guarantee independent funding, secure tenure for elected officials, and credible elections.

He also proposed new accountability mechanisms, such as mid-term performance evaluations and succession frameworks, to improve transparency.

Participants urged local government chairmen who stand to benefit most from the Supreme Court ruling to lead the charge in enforcing true autonomy despite resistance from other interests.

The event also featured a debate by secondary school students on the topic: “Nigeria’s Development Depends on Strong Institutions, Not Strong Leaders.”