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Enyimba Hold Remo Stars In Sagamu To Keep Playoff Hope Alive

Published

7 years ago

May 17, 2019

Enyimba Hold Remo Stars In Sagamu To Keep Playoff Hope Alive

Enyimba Football Club kept their Nigeria Professional Football League playoff hopes on solid track with a goalless draw against ten-man Remo Stars at the Gateway International Stadium on Thursday evening.

Both sides came into the fixture in dire need of points to drive their respective ambitions as Enyimba aimed at avoiding a slip from group A’s top three while Remo were already in a race against time to salvage their top-flight status.

Things started out in awry fashion for the relegation bedevilled hosts, however, as Kenney Boboye was forced into an early change when right back Abiodun Awoyemi was stretchered out after four minutes.

The remainder of the early exchanges barely went beyond being topsy-turvy, with the players struggling to come to terms with the bumpy playing surface.

The first real chance of the game eventually came in the eighteenth minute when a long throw into the Enyimba box left Victor Mbaoma with the easy task of tapping in, but the Remo captain failed to sort his feet and the visitors quickly cleared their lines.

At the other end, Chinedu Udechukwu, minutes after getting into the referee’s book for a challenge in midfield, got to the end of Stanley Okorom’s telling cross but managed to miss from eight yards.

Enyimba, from that point, asserted themselves heavily on the hosts, but were almost punished on the break with a swift passing move that ended at the feet of an offside-positioned Mustapha Gbolahan.

Udechukwu came close again for the visitors with a free kick from thirty yards that was fumbled over the top by Emmanuel Fabiyi.

With halftime beckoning, Reuben Bala who had proved to be a handful for Remo all the while, setup Udechukwu once more, and this time the striker’s effort from outside the box rattled off the base of the upright.

The hosts looked better organised at the restart and consistently pushed into Enyimba’s territory, but the half’s first real action came at the other end as Olisa Ndah cleared off the line after Thomas Zenke’s low drive from Okorom’s free kick had beaten the keeper.

Remo were made to play the last half hour with a man down when Victor Chidume was given the marching order for dissent. Boboye’s men were, however, irrepressible and continued to push forward with Gbolahan central to their forrays.

With time running against the search for a winner, Boboye sent on Oshobe Shuji but Enyimba held on to what was clearly a favourable scoreline.

In the end, the barren outcome confirmed Remo’s return to the Nigeria National League, while Enyimba remain in the group’s final playoff position, one point ahead of fourth placed MFM.

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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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