Tinubu Under Fire as Student Loan Misses January Deadline

• There has been a noticeable delay in the deadline for the student loan scheme introduced by Tinubu's government
• The government had maintained earlier that all was set for the loan to be accessible by students in January 2024; however, nothing has been heard of it
• As of now, students and parents are worried about the development, but a top official from the Ministry of Education has called for calm

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Nigerian students and parents have been disappointed by the federal government headed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the delayed launch of the student loan scheme.

This came after assurance from FG that it would commence disbursement of the education loans in January 2024.

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Anticipated as a new chapter in accessible education by indigent students, persistent delays have overshadowed the loan, leaving aspiring students and their families uncertain after it failed to meet the January deadline.

The minister of state for education, Yusuf Sununu, had said the January 2024 date for the take-off of the student loan was still in place.

Sunubu added that a website had already been working for interested Nigerian university students with the requisite criteria, as reported by Premium Times.

However, a recent investigation revealed that neither the website nor a new update had been provided since the minister made the statement, Leadership reported.

But an official from the Ministry of Education, who pleaded anonymity, said expansion hurdles are the reason behind the delay of the student loan.

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Also speaking on the development, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Lucky Emonefe, attributed the delay to the expansion of the loan scheme.

Tinubu's govt explains how students will access loans

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the executive secretary of Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, explained how interested Nigerians would access the student loan.

Sawyerr said there will be no human contact in accessing the loan as everything will be automated, and funds for successful students will be transferred to the schools' accounts.

This was contained in a statement issued by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, one of Tinubu's aides, on Monday, January 22, 2024, via the Presidency X page (formerly known as Twitter) @NGRPresident.

Source: Legit.ng