2027: Pro-Tinubu Group Woos Students With Loan Scheme

A pro-Tinubu group, Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN), has urged Nigerian students to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme and other government policies aimed at improving access to education.

The group made the appeal during a sensitisation programme at the University of Abuja, where it urged students to take a greater interest in governance, participate in elections and assess political claims on social media critically.

The group said it planned to extend the campaign to universities across the country, encouraging students to consider the implications of policy continuity for their education and future opportunities.

Speaking at the event, the National Director of Town Hall and Engagements of RTIFN, Dr Ibrahim Farida, said the organisation was targeting students because of their potential influence on the outcome of the 2027 general elections.

Farida, who put the number of Nigerian students at about 46.7 million, including those studying abroad, urged them to look beyond campus politics and engage with issues affecting national development.

“The aim of Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria is to tell them that politicking should not just end in the school system. They should aspire within the system to ensure that good governance is carried out,” she said.

She encouraged eligible students to take advantage of NELFUND, which provides loans to qualified students to support their education, arguing that the programme should continue.

“In 2027, the students, the 46.7 million, should come out and still vote because you want the NELFUND reforms to continue,” Farida said.

She also urged students to consider how changes in government could affect existing education programmes and other policies.

Farida said the group, founded by a young Nigerian lawyer, was working with the City Boy Movement to sensitise students at universities across the country.

Earlier, the Director-General of RTIFN, Ahmed Bala, said the Federal Government had introduced initiatives intended to improve access to education, support youth empowerment and expand employment opportunities.

He said the student loan scheme was designed to help qualified Nigerians pursue higher education despite financial constraints.

Bala also highlighted government programmes focusing on digital skills, entrepreneurship and innovation, urging students to take advantage of available opportunities.

“Government programmes can only achieve their full impact when students are properly informed and take advantage of the opportunities available to them,” he said.

He encouraged students to focus on their studies, embrace innovation and acquire skills relevant to the changing job market.

“Our message is simple. Your education matters. Your future matters. Your contribution to Nigeria matters,” Bala said.

Also speaking, the National Director of Students and Youths Engagements and Mobilisation of RTIFN, Comrade Adakole Ochai, said the organisation was campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election by highlighting what it described as the administration’s achievements.

Ochai said the University of Abuja programme was the first in a planned nationwide campaign to educate students about NELFUND and other government policies.

He said the group intended to take the campaign to universities across the six geopolitical zones and other parts of the country.

“We intend to tell students to make sure that they are not used as political tools and let them not believe everything they see on social media,” he said.

Acknowledging the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, Ochai expressed optimism that conditions would improve, urging students to remain patient.

“We know what is going on, just like the President always assures us. So, we are assuring Nigerian students to relax, calm down. Things are getting better. It will take a little time, but it will definitely get better,” he said.