1,798 FUHSA Azare students secured NELFUND support — Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has disclosed that 1,798 students of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), Bauchi State, have so far secured support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for the 2025/2026 academic session.

Tinubu made the disclosure in his capacity as Visitor to FUHSA during the institution’s maiden convocation, held on Saturday, 17 October 2026, to celebrate 50 pioneer graduates. He was represented at the ceremony by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Architect Sunny S. T. Echono.

According to him, “This represents 43 per cent of the University’s student population, demonstrating the significant impact of this intervention on access to higher education at FUHSA. This is more than a financial support programme; it is an investment in the aspirations and future of our young people.”

He added, “By enabling students from financially constrained backgrounds to access and remain in higher education, we are strengthening education as an instrument of opportunity, social mobility and national development. We will continue to pursue policies that ensure that ability, determination and merit, not financial circumstance, remain the principal determinants of access to quality higher education in Nigeria.”

He stressed that the government’s substantial investment in tertiary education was not limited to infrastructure but also included strengthening research and innovation, noting that no nation could achieve sustainable development without generating knowledge and converting it into practical solutions.

“In 2026, the Federal Government, through TETFund, provided ₦10 billion for the National Research Fund. I encourage our universities, particularly health-related institutions like FUHSA, to take full advantage of these opportunities and pursue research that addresses Nigeria’s health challenges,” he said.

He also said, “We are also committed to ensuring that our schools and universities remain safe environments for learning, teaching and research. Through the Safe School Initiative and other measures, the Federal Government is strengthening the security of educational institutions and protecting students, teachers and academic communities.”

He stressed that “a secure and conducive learning environment is therefore not merely a security imperative; it is fundamental to educational excellence, human capital development and the sustainable development of our nation”.

The President further said, “We recognise, however, that investment in institutions must go hand in hand with investment in people. This administration is therefore taking deliberate steps to improve the welfare and conditions of service of staff of tertiary institutions.”

He added, “We recognise that lecturers, researchers, administrators, technologists and other university personnel are central to the success of our education system. The Federal Government therefore remains committed to creating an enabling environment for staff development, welfare and professional growth, while promoting merit, productivity and excellence across our universities.”

“We are also reforming the way our universities operate. As part of our commitment to greater institutional efficiency and autonomy, the Federal Government has removed universities from the requirement to obtain recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,” he added.

Tinubu pointed out that the Ministry of Education and university governing councils had been empowered to play their appropriate roles in staff recruitment, making it easier for institutions to respond to their legitimate manpower needs.

“We have also taken steps to remove universities from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System as part of our efforts to strengthen institutional autonomy and develop a system that better accommodates the peculiarities of the universities. Ultimately, our objective is to create a university system that is both more responsive and more competitive, capable of attracting and retaining the talent necessary to advance teaching, research, innovation and national development,” he said.

He stressed that “our administration believes that no qualified Nigerian should be denied the opportunity to pursue higher education simply because of financial constraints. Through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, we are taking deliberate steps to remove financial barriers and expand access to tertiary education for Nigerian students.”

The President added, “I understand that the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, has established collaborations with internationally recognised institutions, including the University of Miami, Boston University and Universiti Sains Malaysia, while also entering a number of memoranda of understanding with federal and state government institutions within Nigeria.”

According to him, “These partnerships are a welcome development and reflect the University’s commitment to building strategic relationships that can strengthen teaching, research, innovation, capacity development and healthcare delivery. I warmly congratulate the University on these initiatives and encourage the management to continue to pursue partnerships that bring tangible value to the institution and its students.”

“In today’s increasingly interconnected world, universities must look beyond their campuses and build meaningful national and international networks. Such collaborations can provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, joint research, staff and student development, technology transfer and the sharing of best practices,” he added.

The President urged FUHSA to sustain the partnerships and, importantly, translate the collaborations into measurable and enduring outcomes that would contribute to the University’s growth and enhance its contribution to Nigeria’s health sector.

Addressing the pioneer graduands, he said, “I offer my warmest congratulations. You are the first graduates of this University, and that distinction will remain with you throughout your lives. But being the pioneer set also carries a special responsibility. You will be remembered not only as the first to graduate from FUHSA, but also by the contributions you make to the development of this institution and to the nation as alumni.”

To the university’s governing council, management, Senate, academic and non-academic staff, and students, he said, “I commend your commitment and dedication in bringing FUHSA to this important milestone. I urge you to build upon this foundation and ensure that the University becomes known for the quality of its teaching, the relevance of its research, the competence of its graduates and its contribution to the advancement of healthcare in Nigeria and beyond.”

The President concluded, “Today, fifty young Nigerians stand before us as the pioneer graduands of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare. Their achievement is a source of pride to their parents and families, to Bauchi State and to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of FUHSA, Azare, Prof. Bala Mohammed Audu, said, “A university is defined by the people it produces, the knowledge it generates, the values it upholds, and the positive impact it has on society. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in less than five years FUHSA has reached that defining moment. This is, therefore, more than a ceremony. It is the celebration of a vision, a journey, and a dream that has become a reality. To fully appreciate today’s celebration, it is important to recall our humble beginnings.”

He added, “FUHSA is a specialised university focused on training highly skilled health manpower that is internationally competitive. From our humble beginnings in temporary offices, classrooms, and students’ hostels through resource verifications, advisory visits, full take-off of academic programmes and accreditations, we present to you the first set of graduates to walk through this citadel of learning without any stagnation. Indeed, ours is a story of a dream built into a vision captured in our mission and expressed in our core values.”

According to him, “Through teamwork, perseverance and the audacity to faithfully look into the future, we have been able to collectively mount 22 academic programmes in less than five years. Out of the 13 programmes matured for accreditation, 11 are fully accredited, with only two having interim accreditation.”

He also said, “This campus of FUHSA was provided by the Bauchi State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir. This provided the physical foundation from which we commenced our journey. In addition, he provided 600 hectares of land at Dugunde for future development of the University.”

“The take-off of FUHSA was made possible not only by the vision and commitment of its founding leadership and staff, but also by an extraordinary spirit of institutional cooperation and goodwill. We remain deeply grateful to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University/Teaching Hospital, Bauchi; the University of Maiduguri/Teaching Hospital; Bauchi State University, Gadau; Ahmadu Bello University/Teaching Hospital, Zaria; Bayero University Kano/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital; and Federal Medical Centre, Azare, which generously released their staff to serve on various take-off committees,” he said.

“Their willingness to share their human resources, experience and institutional expertise at a critical stage in our development was a remarkable demonstration of solidarity with the vision of this University. Adamu Adamu College of Nursing Sciences also made its classrooms and other facilities available to enable us to commence lectures before our own facilities were ready,” he added.

The vice-chancellor said, “These interventions were critical to our take-off. We also acknowledge with profound appreciation the support of Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare. At a time when FUHSA was still finding its feet, such support went beyond logistics; it represented the warmth, partnership and community spirit that surrounded the birth of this University.”

He added, “Today, as we gather for this historic maiden convocation, we remember these institutions and individuals who stood with FUHSA at its formative stage. Their contributions are woven into the story of our beginnings, and we are pleased to acknowledge them as part of the foundation upon which this University was built. In fact, many of them are with us here today, and we sincerely appreciate their valued presence.”

According to him, “Our first graduating set is from the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, the first programme of the University to produce graduates. Today we are graduating 50 students. Out of these, three graduated with first-class degrees. We were able to graduate the first set at this time because the four-year Basic Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) curriculum was used. This curriculum is very robust and full of skills acquisition.”

He added, “This is demonstrated by commercial products being developed by the students while in training. You may wish to visit their stand downstairs at the end of this ceremony. Our students today are showcasing over 34 value-added nutritional products that are suitable for commercialisation and are equipped to be job creators. It is worth noting that the project work of one of the graduating students actually won a national Nutrition Research and Innovation Challenge organised by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria.”

He further said, “Unfortunately, the same curriculum has been extended to five years in the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS), a matter that needs to be reviewed. We have proof of concept that this four-year Nutrition Programme and indeed other specialised programmes of similar duration are adequate. There is therefore no need to extend them beyond four years.”

Concluding his address to the graduating students, Audu said, “My dear graduands, yours is a unique place in the history of this University. As the pioneer graduates, you have been well nurtured in character and learning by highly competent faculty. I therefore urge you to be worthy ambassadors of this great citadel of knowledge.”

He added, “Wherever you find yourself, always remember your beginnings in FUHSA and play your roles as great alumni. As the pioneer cohort of the University Alumni, I encourage you to relate closely with the University Advancement Office.”