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Any Nigerian Above 50 Years Eyeing Presidency Should Forget It – Arewa Youths

Published

5 years ago

February 1, 2021

The President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, (AYCF) Yerima Shettima, has told Nigerians who are above the age of 50 to forget about running for the presidency in 2023.

Shettima noted that the aged ones had completely failed the country since they took over governance from the founding fathers and had brought perpetual hardship of all kinds to Nigerians.

Speaking in Kaduna, he said, “we refused to harness our human and natural resources and put them on the right track for us to be very productive, rather, we only count on the number every day on one story or the other.

“It is sad and unfortunate today that this country is where it is today despite the fact that some of us are willing to cope with the situation and move it forward no matter what.

“What they succeeded in doing is to balkanize and cause more divisions among us the present generation. It is either you are caught in an issue of religion or tribe and over and over, this has continued.

“What we are doing now as youths of this country is to form synergy, build capacity before the next elections to ensure that never again will we allow anyone that is not our contemporary to occupy any political space, we won’t do that and that is what we are doing now.

“The youths are set for 2023. Recent happenings in the country have shown that we have the capacity and that is a clear demonstration of ENDSARS, it happens just within a small place and if you could see how it exposed a lot of weakness on the part of the federal government, we don’t intend to go through that process of ENDSARS where there were casualties of lives and properties. No, we are going to be very objective, we will demand through a political process, through the ballot paper, through our voter’s Cards, we will mobilize our generation, never again will we put somebody at the helm of affairs that is above 50 years.”

Shettima lamented that the older ones in the country, who got everything on a platter of gold “are still not ready to relinquish power to the present generation”, stressing that, “We expect them to set the pace, to put the present generation on the right track so that at the end of the day, side by side, work with them and move the country forward.

“They refused and still maintained the status-quo and that is why often times when a new team comes up, because of their mindset, they are not thinking towards moving Nigerians to higher standards.”

On the insecurity of the country, he observed that it would not be good for someone to preempt the impact of the new Service Chiefs, saying, “We should look at the source of the problem before looking at the solution. To change the service Chiefs is not enough to solve the security challenges in the country.

“There is a need to overhaul the entire security network in the country. It has to be a thing of side by side with the communities so that together we can have confidence in the security agents because it requires a lot to build that confidence.

“Overtime, that confidence has been abused by the various sectors of the security, it requires inclusiveness of the members of the society side by side with the security agents so that we can do it through intelligence gathering because we are faced with issues of kidnapping, Boko Haram, banditry and other social vices in the country.

So it is not a natural conventional approach that we always see, this one is a different methodology and so to that extent, the government must be seen to provide all the necessary equipment for the security to be able to succeed, that is, to counter what their enemies are carrying.”

On reprisals, he noted,

“Government has a lot of jobs to do, Nigerians are doing their bit, the government must be seen to be decisive, to do justice to all, the government must be seen to deal with anybody found wanting, because the law is the law to everybody in the country.

“There is no way why anybody should take the law into his or her hand. The government should be seen doing the right thing so that the people will also sit up to do the right thing.”

Speaking on farmers/herdsmen clashes in the country, Shettima noted that the federal government needed to be serious to ensure that only modernized style of grazing was done to avoid any clash between the farmers and the herdsmen in any part of the country.

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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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