The Student Wing of the Northern Youth Frontiers on Monday, raised concerns over worsening insecurity around tertiary institutions in the North, warning that persistent attacks by bandits and kidnappers are undermining access to education and threatening the future of thousands of students in the region.

The group said that despite the gains recorded under the Federal Government’s student loan initiative through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, insecurity around campuses continued to discourage learning and expose students to danger.

The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued after an emergency joint congress of student leaders, campus delegates and youth stakeholders from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, held in Abuja.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the National Coordinator of the NYF Student Wing, Ibrahim Bello, and the Secretary-General, Hauwa Abdulaziz.

According to the students, many tertiary institutions and off-campus student communities in the North remained vulnerable to attacks, forcing students to live in fear while pursuing their education.

“We urgently appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intensify security efforts across Northern campuses, which remain vulnerable to threats from bandits and kidnappers,” the communiqué stated.

The congress called for increased investment in the Safe Schools Initiative and demanded a stronger security presence around universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the region.

“Specifically, we call for the aggressive funding of the Safe Schools Initiative, alongside the deployment of specialised, round-the-clock military and police patrols around tertiary institutions, off-campus student residential zones and critical transit routes to guarantee that students can utilise their loans in safety and peace,” the students said.

The group warned that insecurity has continued to disrupt academic activities, heighten anxiety among parents and students, and worsen educational challenges in the North.

The students, however, commended the Federal Government for the implementation of the student loan scheme under NELFUND, describing it as a critical intervention that has restored hope to indigent students struggling with tuition and living expenses.

According to the communiqué, over N72.03bn has been disbursed directly into students’ accounts as monthly N20,000 upkeep support, helping beneficiaries cope with feeding, accommodation and academic costs.

“By stepping in where poverty would have forced brilliant minds out of school, NELFUND has restored dignity to the less privileged and brought immense psychological and financial relief to countless struggling families,” the communiqué added.

The congress also noted that more than 1.3 million Nigerian students had reportedly registered and applied through the NELFUND portal, while over N161.97bn had been disbursed under the scheme in 2026.

The students passed a vote of confidence in President Tinubu and the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, describing the education loan programme as one of the administration’s most impactful interventions in the education sector.

They urged the Federal Government not to allow insecurity to erode the benefits of the programme, stressing that access to education can only improve in an environment where students feel safe.

In recent years, several schools and tertiary institutions across northern Nigeria have faced security threats ranging from abductions to attacks on school communities, leading to temporary closures, disruption of academic calendars and heightened fear among students and lecturers.

The insecurity crisis has also contributed to declining school enrolment in some affected communities, with many parents reluctant to send their children far from home due to fears of kidnapping and violence.

Education stakeholders have repeatedly warned that the situation could deepen the out-of-school children crisis already confronting Northern Nigeria, which accounts for a significant percentage of the country’s out-of-school population. (The PUNCH)

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