Adeleke explains two-year extension of UNIOSUN VC’s tenure

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has explained his decision to extend the tenure of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, by two years, saying the move was aimed at ensuring administrative continuity, stability and effective governance at the institution.

Adeleke made the explanation on Monday while inaugurating the newly reconstituted UNIOSUN Governing Council at the Osun State Government House in Osogbo.

The governor said Adebooye had initially rejected the offer to remain in office for an additional two years but later accepted the extension after further consideration.

Adeleke said retaining the Vice-Chancellor was necessary to prevent an administrative vacuum and ensure that ongoing programmes and policies at the university were not disrupted during a period of leadership transition.

The governor also retained Professor Adewale Oladipo as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, citing his experience and familiarity with the institution.

Oladipo previously chaired the dissolved council and was returned to the position as part of the restructuring of the university’s governing body.

The newly inaugurated council members include Alhaji Gbadegesin Lawal, Alhaji Lateef Olalekan Olayanju, Mr Akinola Franklin Omoniyi, Chief Funminiyi Awotide, Mr Orija Samuel Adebayo, Mrs Adewale Adetayo Bola and Mrs Olawale Oludayo Abolade.

Adeleke urged the council members to discharge their responsibilities with humility, integrity, courage and commitment to the public interest.

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He particularly warned against creating competing centres of authority within the university, charging the Governing Council and management to work together in accordance with their respective legal responsibilities.

“I charge you to work harmoniously with the Vice-Chancellor and management,” Adeleke said, stressing that the council and management should not operate as competing centres of authority.

The governor further urged the council to respect the statutory responsibilities of university management while providing the necessary oversight required to promote institutional development.

According to Adeleke, cooperation and mutual respect between the Governing Council and the university management are essential to maintaining stability and advancing the institution’s objectives.

He described UNIOSUN as “one of the enduring investments of the people of Osun State”, noting that the university’s academic and research activities contribute to the economic, social and intellectual development of the state and Nigeria.

The governor charged the council to consolidate the progress already recorded by the university and support initiatives that would further improve its academic standing, research capacity and infrastructure.

Speaking at the inauguration, Oladipo expressed appreciation to Adeleke for retaining him as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman.

He attributed the governor’s decision partly to the achievements recorded by the previous council and pledged that the reconstituted body would build on those accomplishments.

Oladipo said the council would work with the university management and other stakeholders to further strengthen the institution and pursue its development objectives.

Adebooye, in his remarks, also thanked Adeleke, members of the Osun State Executive Council and the newly inaugurated Governing Council for their support.

The Vice-Chancellor pledged that the university management would continue to collaborate with the council and other stakeholders to sustain the institution’s growth.

He also reaffirmed UNIOSUN’s ambition of becoming one of the leading universities in Africa, with continued emphasis on academic excellence, research and institutional development.

Adebooye’s tenure extension comes against the backdrop of several recent developments at the university.

In July, Adeleke inaugurated a number of projects at UNIOSUN, including a sports complex, three-in-one laboratory complex, 500-capacity lecture theatre and 750-capacity lecture theatre, as part of efforts to improve facilities at the institution.

The governor also installed Victoria Adunola Samson, founder of BOVAS Oil and Gas, as the university’s new Chancellor, following the completion of the tenure of former Chancellor Folorunso Alakija.

The leadership changes are expected to provide a period of greater continuity as the university implements its academic, infrastructural and research programmes.

Adebooye became the university’s fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor in 2022, and his extended tenure will now run for another two years.

The reconstituted Governing Council is expected to provide strategic oversight while working with the Vice-Chancellor and management on the institution’s long-term development.

Adeleke’s decision to retain both the Vice-Chancellor and the Pro-Chancellor also signals an emphasis on institutional continuity at a time when the university is implementing several development initiatives.

The governor’s central message to the new council was that good university governance requires cooperation rather than rivalry between the governing body and management.

The administration will therefore expect the council to provide effective oversight while allowing the university’s management to perform its statutory functions without unnecessary interference.

With the new council formally inaugurated and Adebooye’s tenure extended, attention will now shift to the implementation of UNIOSUN’s development plans and the institution’s efforts to strengthen its position within Nigeria’s higher education sector.

Adeleke explains two-year extension of UNIOSUN VC’s tenure

NELFUND Boss Dismisses Misappropriation Claims, Insists All Payments Traceable Electronically

NELFUND MD says all transactions are electronically traceable from CBN to beneficiaries, defends transparency and fairness of student loan scheme

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) , Akintunde Sawyerr, has firmly dismissed allegations of financial misappropriation within the agency, insisting that every payment made under the student loan scheme leaves a digital trail and is fully traceable. Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Monday, Sawyerr rejected claims that the scheme operates without transparency, explaining that all disbursements are made electronically from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directly to tertiary institutions for tuition fees or to students’ bank accounts for upkeep allowances. He described allegations that NELFUND’s financial operations were opaque as potentially misleading, adding that such claims sounded “a little bit like mischief” to him.

Citing a recent example, Sawyerr said NELFUND transferred over N1 billion to the University of Ibadan to cover tuition for beneficiaries, while upkeep allowances were paid straight into students’ personal bank accounts. According to reports, the University of Ibadan received N1.655 billion to cover institutional levies for 8,110 students for the 2025/2026 academic session. Sawyerr explained, “The transfers of money are done electronically. It’s entirely traceable. The money leaves the Central Bank of Nigeria and goes either to the institution, the University of Ibadan, or in the case of upkeep, goes directly to the students in their bank accounts.” He questioned claims of opacity, asking: “So, where is the opacity in that? We transferred the funds directly to the institution and asked the institution to give the students access to classes. We’ve also paid upkeep to the students directly.”

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Addressing concerns over fairness in beneficiary selection, Sawyerr said NELFUND’s application process is fully electronic and designed to eliminate favouritism, ethnic considerations, and the influence of personal connections. He stated, “We receive applications electronically. The system doesn’t recognise whether you’re male, female, whether you’re Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani, Ibibio, or Ogoja.” He explained that eligibility is determined by basic requirements including a National Identification Number (NIN) , JAMB registration number, admission details, and a bank account, adding: “The system doesn’t care whether you’re friends with the Managing Director or in-laws with the Executive Director. It doesn’t care.”

Sawyerr also disclosed that NELFUND currently faces a monthly upkeep bill of about N16 billion, even as loan recoveries from beneficiaries have yet to commence. He confirmed the Federal Government was exploring alternative ways of funding the scheme, including the use of forfeited proceeds of corruption and unclaimed dividends, to ensure that more students can access education. He said, “I think the President, in his magnanimity, is looking for ingenious ways to be able to continue to fund education. It’s a loan scheme. It’s two years plus old. We’re not getting any recoveries of the loans as of today. But how do you keep it going? We have a bill every month, as of today, of about 16 billion in upkeep alone.”

NELFUND has disbursed N154.37 billion to support 788,947 students across 262 public tertiary institutions nationwide as of December 2025. The disbursement included over N82 billion paid directly to institutions for tuition and compulsory fees, and more than N72 billion released as monthly upkeep allowances, with beneficiaries receiving a N20,000 monthly allowance. The fund had received over 1.26 million applications, with 62.3 per cent successfully processed and disbursed. Sawyerr noted that all payments are made through a fully digitised platform to guarantee transparency, tracking, verification and accountability. The fund publishes its figures daily and maintains a complete electronic trail of all payments.

Sawyerr acknowledged that some students have experienced challenges with applications, approvals and payments but described such cases as rare, adding that the agency addresses them when they arise. On the sustainability of the scheme, he said NELFUND could not depend indefinitely on recovered proceeds of crime, stressing that its enabling law permits the fund to attract private investment, charitable donations and generate income through investments. The loans are interest-free, and repayment commences two years after completion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and upon securing employment, with only 10 per cent of monthly income deducted. Sawyerr linked the creation of NELFUND to President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy, saying the government was redirecting money previously spent on a few into welfare programmes for Nigerians. He reiterated, “There is no evidence of any financial misappropriation by NELFUND. The reality of it is that in order for people to take a loan, there has to be some capital they can draw on.”

NELFUND Boss Dismisses Misappropriation Claims, Insists All Payments Traceable Electronically

FG Opens N10 Billion TETFund Research Grant Applications — How Lecturers Can Apply

TETFund increases research funding by 64.2% over 2025 cycle, invites concept notes from public tertiary institution lecturers across Nigeria

The Federal Government has approved N10 billion for the 2026 National Research Fund (NRF) Grant Cycle of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) , representing a significant 64.2 per cent increase over the N6.09 billion committed to 174 research projects in the 2025 cycle. The announcement was made in a call for concept notes signed by the TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, who emphasised that the increased funding is aimed at strengthening research activities and boosting the capacity of Nigerian researchers across public tertiary institutions. The initiative is expected to provide researchers with greater support to carry out studies focused on national development and pressing societal challenges, reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to investing in homegrown solutions to Nigeria’s most pressing problems. The 2026 NRF grant cycle is designed to support research that addresses critical national challenges and contributes to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development. According to Echono, the fund will support multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research projects that have the potential to generate knowledge and innovations that can be translated into policies, products and services for the benefit of Nigerian society. The latest approval comes as part of ongoing efforts by TETFund and the Federal Government to increase investment in research and ensure that Nigerian institutions have the resources needed to produce impactful research that can compete globally.

According to TETFund, lecturers in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria are eligible to apply for the 2026 NRF grant. This includes academics from federal and state universities, polytechnics and colleges of education who are interested in conducting research across the 30 priority thematic areas identified for the grant cycle. The fund encourages multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research involving scholars from different fields, as well as collaborations across institutions to foster knowledge sharing and innovation. Each application must have a Principal Investigator (PI) who will lead the research team and take responsibility for the conduct of the project. The PI must be institution-based, with the PI’s institution serving as the coordinating institution and guarantor of the proper application of funds for the project. Researchers are encouraged to form teams that bring together diverse expertise to address complex research questions.

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The application process is conducted entirely online through the TETFund National Research Fund portal at nrf.tetfund.gov.ng. Eligible researchers are required to visit the NRF portal to prepare and submit their concept notes, study the Research Brief and Application Guidelines carefully before submission, and await evaluation by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) . The Fund has emphasised that only Principal Investigators whose concept notes are evaluated and considered fundable will be invited to submit full research proposals. The PI and at least one member of the research team behind a successful proposal will subsequently be invited to defend the project before the committee, after which successful proposals will be presented to the TETFund Board of Trustees for final approval and disbursement of funds.

TETFund has announced that the portal will open for concept-note submissions on August 31, 2026, with the deadline set for October 15, 2026. The Fund has stressed that “There will be no extension” , urging applicants to submit their concept notes well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues.

The N10 billion fund will support research across 30 priority thematic areas, grouped into three broad categories. The Humanities and Social Sciences category includes Citizenship and National Integration, Conflict, Defence and Security, Economic Development and Globalisation, Education and Human Capital, Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion, Governance, Politics, Law and Ethics, History, Culture and Identities, Humanities, Social Sciences, Technology and Business Interface, Languages, Literatures and Media, Population and Migration, Social Development and Welfare, and Tourism, Sports and Recreation. The Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation category covers Agriculture and Food Security, Geosciences, Health and Social Welfare, Industry and Innovation, Information Technology, Computing and Telecommunications, Power and Energy, Science and Engineering, Space Science and Technology, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Terrestrial Ecosystems, Transport and Infrastructure, and Water and Sanitation. The Cross-Cutting category includes Blue Economy, Clean and Affordable Energy, Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, Environment, Housing, Urban and Regional Development, Innovation and Technology in National Defence Capabilities, Resource Governance, and National System of Innovation.

For enquiries, applicants can contact the TETFund NRF Secretariat through the following emails: zanginas@tetfund.gov.ng, odoju@tetfund.gov.ng, ukimci@tetfund.gov.ng, and ugwubs@tetfund.gov.ng. The Fund has encouraged researchers to reach out with any questions regarding the application process, eligibility requirements, or priority thematic areas.

FG Opens N10 Billion TETFund Research Grant Applications — How Lecturers Can Apply