RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE DRONE AND MISSILE BARRAGE ON UKRAINE, KILLING AT LEAST 18 CIVILIANS AND STRIKING KYIV AND MULTIPLE CITIES. (PHOTO).

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 Russia launches massive drone and missile barrage on Ukraine, killing at least 18 civilians and striking Kyiv and multiple cities  Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least 18 civilians and wounded more than 100 others across multiple cities, officials said Tuesday. The strikes hit Kyiv, Dnipro and other regions, with emergency crews working through destroyed residential buildings where some victims were trapped under rubble. In Dnipro, rescuers recovered the bodies of a 3-year-old child and a mother and her 8-year-old son, while officials reported 12 deaths in the city and six in Kyiv. The bombardment stretched from night into daylight, with explosions reported across wide areas of the country. Kyiv residents had been on alert for days after warnings of a major aerial attack, including advisories for foreign diplomats to leave the capital. Despite those warnings, most remained in pl...

PRES. TINUBU DIRECTS EXPANSION OF STUDENT-LOAN PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE SKILL DEVELOPMENT.(PHOTOS).#PRESS RELEASE


STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS EXPANSION OF STUDENT-LOAN PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE SKILL DEVELOPMENT 


President Bola Tinubu has directed the management of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to expand its focus area by extending interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programmes.

The President issued this directive at the State House on Monday after a briefing from Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, Executive Secretary of NELFUND, on the build-up to the launch of the programme later in the month.

The President said it is important for the scheme to accommodate those who may not want to pursue university education, noting that skill acquisition is as important as obtaining undergraduate and graduate academic qualifications.

"This is not an exclusive programme. It is catering to all of our young people. Young Nigerians are gifted in different areas. This is not only for those who want to be doctors, lawyers, and accountants. It is also for those who aspire to use their skilled and trained hands to build our nation. In accordance with this, I have instructed NELFUND to explore all opportunities to inculcate skill-development programmes because not everybody wants to go through a full university education," he said.

President Tinubu emphasized the need for equity and inclusivity in the management of the programme, stating: "No matter how economically challenged you are, accredited and qualified students will and must have access to this loan to advance their education in higher institutions. There is no compromise in our commitment to the disadvantaged citizens of this nation."

In his presentation to the President, Executive Secretary of the Fund, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, said the loan application process will be technology-driven, limiting human interface and "eliminating any possibility of maladministration in the programme." 

"By design, this is a perpetual programme and will not terminate. The funds, earmarked for bona-fide Nigerian students, will be disbursed directly to the institutions in the initial phase through electronic transfer. Our students will be catered to in a way that bypasses human interference through the full utilization of available technological platforms, in adherence to Your Excellency's stated objectives," he said.

He also said NELFUND has developed a robust risk-mitigation mechanism to address potential risks that may arise from the programme.

Speaking on the funding mechanism of the programme, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), said funding sources have been made available to ensure the smooth take-off and sustenance of the programme.

"Mr. President is permanently solving the problem of funding for education in Nigeria. By the directive of the President, the Education Tax Fund is being reviewed to additionally cater to the needs of our university students across all local government areas in the country as they seek to access vocational and traditional university education. Funding for the programme will be adequately covered," he said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

January 22, 2024.
More photos below. 



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