Nigerians are outraged about the suspension of the long-awaited student loan scheme introduced by the federal government at the Inauguration of the Tinubu-led administration.
The Federal Government postponed the launch of the Nigerian Student Loan Scheme indefinitely.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyer, said during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday that the loan scheme was postponed due to some corrections that were being made around the launch.
The postponement comes barely 48 hours before the launch.
In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed a bill to start a Student Loan Fund that would give interest-free loans to Nigerians for higher education.
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, proposed the bill and it was supposed to start between September and October 2023.
Meanwhile, Tinubu said the programme would begin in January 2024, after missing the October deadline.
In January, Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, said at a meeting that preparations for the program were finished. This included creating the Student Loan Scheme website and planning how to start the programme.
President Tinubu also told leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students that the programme would start once they added more features, like vocational studies.
Reaction of members of the public:
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos (UNILAG) renewed its call for free education, saying Nigerian students do not desire the federal government education loan.
ASUU UNILAG stated this on its X handle on Wednesday.
@ASUU_UNILAG stated, “📢 The message is simple and clear 🔊🔊🔊
#WeShallOvercome #AlutaContinua #VictoriaAscerta #SolidarityForever #ASUU.”
@DeborahToluwase: “The Federal Government honestly needs to come clean on this student loan thingy. Ajuri came out two days ago to say that the Student Loan scheme will be launched on Thursday (Tomorrow).
…only for the Executive Secretary of the Loan Fund, Akin Sawyerr to say that some corrections still needed to make and hence he can’t commit to a certain date as regards the launch. This is not a good image at all. Why giving a launch date for an half baked policy ?”
Nigerians and students have also been expressing mixed reactions over the suspension of the student loan on social media.
An X user, @LawalOlabisi4: “We all know that the student loan will never see the light of the day.”
@Nleks356: “All Nigerians never expect anything like that.”
@akomscopy: “The reason why this delay in the student loan scheme is generating mix reactions is because the policy, when implemented, will be beneficial to mostly the poor and middle class. It’s important for the government to get it right, once and for all.
“If you study the body language of Mr. President, you will know he wants to give it all, and he said “nobody should be left behind” when it comes to this scheme.
“Not leaving anyone behind means there must be due diligence in getting many things right before launching,” he stated.
@SmilingGeorge24: “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Take this administration seriously at your own peril oo.”
@WOgbomah: “A government of lies and propaganda can never get anything right because they always place the cart before the horse. I will urge everyone to fasten their seat belts because we are in for a very long ride.”
@suleimankende: “Better cause nothing good came from the government to poor innocent students.”
Related story:
ASUU Describes Newly Signed Student Loan Bill as Discriminatory