Former presidential aide and political commentator, Reno Omokri, has responded to criticism of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) by ADC chieftain Dino Melaye, clarifying that the ₦20,000 received by the lowest-paid students under the scheme is a monthly allowance, not an annual payment.

Omokri made this known in a post on X on Tuesday while responding to Melaye’s criticism of the Federal Government’s student loan programme.

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“Dear Distinguished Senator @_dinomelaye, thank you for your feedback. However, please note that the lowest-paid student on the NELFUND Student Loan Scheme receives ₦20,000 a MONTH, not ₦20,000 a YEAR, as you alleged in this video,” Omokri wrote.

He said this means the minimum amount received by such students over a year is ₦240,000.

“In a year, the minimum that students on the program get is ₦240,000,” he added.
Omokri also claimed that more than one million students are beneficiaries of the programme, with many recipients from Northern Nigeria, where he said average annual university tuition is about ₦100,000.

He cited a student of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, whose annual school fees he said amount to ₦84,000.

“Please find attached an actual screenshot of a monthly NELFUND alert paid to a student admitted to the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, where his total annual school fees are ₦84,000,” Omokri said.

According to him, the payment was made in September 2026, adding that he would privately provide the student’s details to Melaye for verification.

Omokri described the programme as beneficial to Nigerian students, saying it had enabled more than one million students to enrol in universities.

“The NELFUND Student Loan Program is a lifesaver for Nigerian students,” he said.
He also urged critics to avoid turning the programme into a political issue.

“Perhaps, as patriotic citizens who love Nigeria and want the best for her, we can avoid undermining this lofty idea by not politicising it,” Omokri said.

Melaye’s Earlier Criticism

Omokri’s response followed criticism from Melaye, who described NELFUND as a “haven of corruption” and questioned the Federal Government’s claim that it was paying students’ school fees.

Melaye alleged that hundreds of billions of naira allocated to the programme were not being properly accounted for.

“The entire program is a baggage of fraud,” Melaye said, challenging the government to provide greater transparency over the scheme.

He also questioned the adequacy of the ₦20,000 payment, asking: “Which government school today takes ₦20,000 annual school fees?”

Melaye argued that students also have transportation and other educational expenses to meet.

He cited a student living in Suleja and attending the University of Abuja in Gwagwalada, saying the amount “cannot take him from Suleja to Gwagwalada and back home.”

The ADC chieftain further challenged NELFUND to disclose its beneficiaries and provide details of its monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

“What is the monitoring and evaluation? I challenge them to publish the names of Nigerian students that have benefited from that program,” he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Paris, France, for Nigeria after concluding his working vacation in Europe, with his aircraft expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, later on Tuesday.

The Presidency disclosed this in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday.

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Tinubu is heading to Lagos ahead of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations, where he is scheduled to attend the premiere of a movie honouring the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Iganmu, on October 1.

The Presidency said the President chose to return through Lagos to honour Abiola, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s democratic struggle.

While in Lagos, Tinubu is also expected to hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue.

The President is expected to return to Abuja after completing his engagements in Lagos.

Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for the working vacation, spending about one week in London before proceeding to Paris.

During his stay in France, the President attended a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and held meetings with business leaders, including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group, whose interests include Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group.

He also met with First HoldCo Chairman, Femi Otedola, on Monday.

Last week, Tinubu witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for the development of a Gateway Deep Seaport in Ogun Waterside and the creation of a Blue Marine Economic Zone.

According to the Presidency, DP World plans to invest $7 billion in the proposed seaport and economic zone.

An Allied Peoples Movement (APM) chieftain and public affairs analyst, Oluwaseun Adelore, has defended Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over his administration’s record of salary payments, infrastructure development and investment attraction.

Adelore made the remarks during an interview on Morning Brief, where he argued that the performance of state governors should be assessed within the context of changing revenues, the value of the naira and the rising cost of imported goods.

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According to him, increased allocations from the Federation Account alone do not provide a complete picture of what state governments can achieve because the purchasing power of the naira has also changed.

“Okay, maybe I should take the last question first. The only thing you have not attached to all these things that you have enumerated is the value of Naira,” Adelore said.

“If FAAC goes up—now they are talking about subsidy money running into trillions, and the governors are getting it—what do they have to show for it? What is the value of Naira now compared to the time when Buhari was in power? You have to take that into consideration.”

The APM chieftain also pointed to Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods and its implications for capital projects being executed by state governments.

“Now, we are an import-dependent nation. We import everything—toothpick, everything. So if you have any capital projects going on, you are going to spend dollars in getting most of these things,” he said.

‘Makinde Never Owed Salary’

Turning to Makinde’s administration, Adelore said the governor had maintained salary payments despite fluctuations in FAAC allocations and the state’s internally generated revenue.

“And we are talking about Engineer Seyi Makinde that, never for once, owed a salary. Either FAAC increased, FAAC decreased, the IGR has been…” he said.

Adelore subsequently questioned how many governors across the country could point to a similar record over an extended period.

“You know, people must come around and ask for the magic wand. How many governors in the whole of this country have such an intimidating record for almost eight years?” he asked.

Explaining why he considered the record significant, Adelore said Oyo State has a substantial civil service population and therefore regular payment of salaries is particularly important.

“No, it is intimidating because Oyo State can be tagged as a civil servant state. Largely—it’s not like Lagos, it’s not like Ogun State,” he said.

He argued that although paying workers is a basic responsibility of government, salary arrears have become an issue in parts of Nigeria.

“Because you are saying that because anybody that works must get a salary. Now it’s become a big deal in Nigeria because salaries have been owed for several months,” Adelore said.

“We make everything… we create a mountain out of a molehill. That’s the kind of country that we have.”

Adelore Lists Makinde’s Other Achievements
Beyond salary payments, Adelore highlighted infrastructure as another area where he said Makinde’s administration had made an impact.

He particularly mentioned road construction and the opening up of communities across Oyo State.

“Oh, the special thing: roads. He has built many roads, opened up roads—many roads linking towns to villages in Oyo State,” Adelore said.

He also claimed that several farm settlements had been revamped under the governor while companies from outside Nigeria had expanded their presence in the state.

“And almost all the farm settlements, you understand, have been revamped through him. He’s done a lot. A whole lot of companies from outside Nigeria have made an inroad into Oyo State,” he added.

Adelore maintained that salary and pension payments should be considered alongside infrastructure and other government activities when assessing the performance of a state administration.

“So on that trajectory, if we are talking about achievements of any governor, you understand? Now, you cannot have a civil service that is being owed salaries, you cannot have pensioners’ money not being paid, and you think you have everything doing,” he said.

“He achieved that, you understand? In addition to many infrastructures.”