Education

Stakeholders Flay Students’ Loan Programme

Published

4 years ago

May 1, 2023

The nation’s education system, over the years, is confronted with challenges of inadequate funding, poor budgetary allocation, corruption and unstable academic calendar.
However, with prevailing economic challenges and high cost of living, many students and prospective ones are afraid of pursuing a university degree as the cost of education keeps rising.
Currently, most federal and state universities charge between N30,000 and N50,000 from a prospective student as an acceptance fee before being allowed to register, even though this cost excludes other expenses.
Worried by the challenges the education sector faces, the country’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in his acceptance speech, promised to give priority attention to education.
He assured Nigerian students of his administration’s resolve to reintroduce education loans and make credit facilities available.
Tinubu promised to reintroduce students’ loans to increase access to university education.
The student loan scheme is aimed at reducing the growing financial burden of higher education in countries facing severe constraints on public expenditure. It is a financial aid the government gives indigent students pursuing university or college degrees.
This practice, however, is not new in the history of the country’s education system. During the General Yakubu Gowon administration in 1974, students were eligible to apply for a yearly loan of N300; N400 or N500, which covered tuition, books, transportation and accommodation, depending on their programme or longer, and repayable within 20 years after graduation.
The scheme enabled institutions to meet their internal expenditure, while there was no record of strikes nor disruption in academic activities. The funds were made available to the universities directly and each student only received the residual amount after all necessary fees had been deducted.
Efforts to reintroduce the loan scheme over the years have proved abortive. Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, recently sponsored a bill to bring back the loan scheme.
It was titled, ‘Bill for an Act to provide easy access to higher education for Nigerians through interest-free loans from Nigeria Education Bank, established in this Act with a view to providing education for all Nigerians and for other purposes connected thereto.’
The bill is also seeking the establishment of an Education Bank to administer and coordinate the management of the student loan scheme.
Gbajabiamila said the hardship being faced by the unemployed and low-income earners coupled with high cost of living prompted him to initiate the bill.
He said: “It is time for us to start thinking outside the box. It is time for us to start looking at international best practices. Nigeria is not isolated from the rest of the world. We borrow ideas from the rest of the world, just like they can borrow from Nigeria as well. And then, we tweak those ideas to suit our peculiarities in our country. At the end of the day, we achieve more or less the same result.”
The beneficiaries, according to the speaker, are expected to begin repayment two years after their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Stakeholders react
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the sector were divided on the propriety or otherwise of the scheme. While a group faulted the proposed reintroduction of the student loan scheme, describing it as a deliberate ploy by the Federal Government to distract the public from the real issues of underfunding confronting the sector, others urged the government to build an appropriate template for the programme for public debate before implementation.
President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, faulted Tinubu’s decision, saying the union does not believe in the programme.
Osodeke argued that the loan scheme couldn’t bring the needed change in the university system. “Definitely, we don’t believe in the introduction of the student loan scheme.”
National Coordinator of Education Rights Campaign (ERC), a non-governmental organisation, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, advised Tinubu to shun the idea of introducing student loans, saying, it is not the way forward for tertiary education.
Soweto stated that the programme is prone to life-long indebtedness from those who benefit from such loans, citing the case of former President Barack Obama of United States of America (USA), who paid off his student loan in 2005.
“This is just an example of how student loans subject people to life-long indebtedness. We are talking of Obama, who is obviously rich, how much more ordinary Americans? Besides, America is a first-world country, while Nigeria is a third-world neo-colonial country, where jobs are not even guaranteed at the end of one’s graduation from the university. The consequence of student loans in Nigeria can be more devastating where students graduate for years and cannot secure a job that pays them enough to pay off the debt,” he explained.
Soweto advised the incoming administration to increase budgetary allocation to the sector to meet the 26 per cent global standard recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
“When this is achieved, the government should ensure that the money and resources are well managed, there should be in place, enforcement of democratic management of the institutions,” said.
For any meaningful development in the sector, Soweto advised the incoming administration to implement policies recommended by stakeholders in the sector.
On his part, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji of the School of Communication, Lagos State University (LASU) urged the government to exercise restraint in implementing the programme, but make elaborate and further consultation with stakeholders in the sector.
“One important thing that the government must consider is that the capacity to pay the debt is dependent on the ability to get employment. So, if that is ensured, students given the loans would have the opportunity to work and the repayment should be in piecemeal on the order of the workers when they begin to work,” he said.
Rather than reintroducing the student loan, Prof. Olatunji called for an outright free education, “because with the loan, you are putting more burden on the government giving the students resources to be following up on them to pay their debt. So, instead of this, the government should just give bursaries if they can not give scholarships because some of us enjoyed some level of minimal bursaries.”
He said many stakeholders are objecting to the student loan scheme for fear that the government may abdicate its responsibility of funding the sector properly.
“What the government can do to ameliorate the sufferings in the sector is to ensure free education at the federal university level and they shouldn’t bite more than they can chew.
“Another thing is that they should allow autonomy in universities. Also, I expect that all the arrears and gratuity that were denied by the outgoing government should be paid to the academic union,” he urged.

Education

FCT ????????????????????Residents Lament Impact Of Extreme Heat on Livelihoods, Business

Published

12 hours ago

November 9, 2026

The Tide

Residents and business owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) say extreme heat is harming their health, raising household expenses and disrupting businesses and livelihoods.

The residents, who spoke newsman said the intense heat had increased their dependence on electricity, water and other cooling measures, while inconsistent power supply made coping more difficult.

They said the situation had resulted in food spoilage, increased operating costs, changes in working hours and health-related discomfort, particularly among households and people whose occupations exposed them to direct sunlight.Try New Foods

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in an Oct. 23 advisory, had warned Nigerians to prepare for hotter days, increased heat discomfort, dust and possible water scarcity as the country transitions from the rainy to the dry season.

The agency identified dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke among the health risks associated with excessive heat, warning that prolonged exposure could affect people’s health and productivity.Learn Physics

To reduce heat-related risks, NiMet advised Nigerians to drink water regularly, wear lightweight and breathable clothing, and limit prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, particularly during the hottest hours of the day.

It also recommended scheduling strenuous outdoor activities for cooler periods.

In Sokale community, Bwari Area Council, Mrs Patient Ndidi said coping with the heat had become an additional financial burden, particularly as a mother trying to keep her children comfortable while managing household expenses.

“The sun was so intense that it felt as though it was draining my blood.

“Even when the children returned from school, I had to tell them to go and take their baths because the heat was so much,” she said.

Ndidi said the situation had increased her household’s electricity consumption because the family needed to run its fans for longer periods whenever power was available.

“We use more units now because whenever there is electricity, we tend to leave the fan on throughout the day.

“As a result, we are constantly recharging our prepaid meter,” she said.

She explained that inconsistent electricity supply had also made food preservation difficult, as cooked meals could easily spoil during prolonged power outages.

According to her, foods such as egusi and groundnut soup, beans and other cooked meals were particularly difficult to preserve, forcing her to prepare smaller quantities that could be consumed at once.

She said the adjustment had increased the frequency of cooking and sometimes resulted in food wastage, additional expenses and stress.

Ndidi added that when electricity was unavailable, members of her household sometimes poured water on their bodies for temporary relief.

“Actually, it has not helped us at all because once there is no electricity, you return to square one,” she said.

She called on the government to improve electricity supply and consider reducing electricity tariffs to ease the financial burden on households.

Similarly, Mr John Anthony, a resident of Kubwa, said coping with the heat was more challenging at home than in his workplace, where air-conditioning provided a comfortable environment.

“Office is not a problem at all; there is AC, so everywhere is always cool until we go home,” he said.

Anthony said his family sometimes opened their windows and doors to improve ventilation, while drinking sufficient water to cope with the heat.

He, however, urged the government to ensure stable electricity supply to enable residents to use cooling appliances.

“Government should please help us to ensure there is stable light so that we will be able to cope and it will reduce it,” he said.

Another Kubwa resident, Mr Ignatius Ikechukwu, a Point of Sale (POS) operator who works under the sun, described coping with the heat as challenging.

He said drinking sufficient water was his major strategy for managing the situation while carrying out his daily activities.

“I do not joke with water at all,” he said.

The effects of the extreme heat have also extended to traders and other business owners, particularly those dealing in perishable goods and products requiring refrigeration.

In Jikwoyi, Miss Lovina Obiyi, a trader dealing in provisions, foodstuffs and poultry, said the excessive heat had resulted in the loss of considerable quantities of poultry.

“We specialise in provisions, foodstuffs and poultry.

“Due to the heat, we have lost quite a good amount of chickens and turkeys to the point that we need to open the place for ventilation,” she said.

Obiyi stated that the heat had also influenced consumer preferences, increasing demand for cold drinks and frozen food products.

“There is a rise in the purchase of cold things. Nobody buys normal temperature water; it has to be cold water.

“When it comes to foodstuffs, people prefer frozen food rather than smoked ones,” she said.

She explained that while perishable products were preserved in freezers, tomatoes and peppers were kept in open spaces to allow ventilation, adding that goods that could no longer be salvaged were discarded.

According to her, the heat had reduced profit margins because some food items ripened faster than expected, resulting in losses.

“The heat affects a lot of things. Profit margin is low because things get spoilt a lot.

“When you keep plantain, they all get ripe at once. There is a lot of loss and risks now due to the heat and also the death of livestock,” she said.

Obiyi added that the heat had also affected her personal comfort, causing heat rashes and making it difficult to sleep without a fan.

Mr Chimezie Samuel, a business owner in Dutse, said the increased demand for cold drinks and other chilled products had created additional pressure on his business because of unreliable electricity supply.

He said customers seeking relief from the heat sometimes could not find cold drinks when power was unavailable.

Although he had not recorded significant losses from spoiled goods because most of his products were not highly perishable, Samuel said maintaining adequate cooling remained a challenge.

He disclosed that he had invested more than N1.7 million in a solar power system to keep his business running despite electricity challenges.

He urged the government to improve electricity supply, noting that the effects of extreme heat extended beyond business operations to residents’ ability to rest comfortably after work.

He also highlighted the importance of adequate water supply, saying electricity challenges could affect access to water and make coping with the heat more difficult.

For Mr Henry Chinonso, a welder and fabricator, the heat had forced changes in working hours to reduce exposure to direct sunlight.

“I come out in the morning. I rest immediately it is 12 o’clock during the hot weather. When the heat reduces, then I will start again,” he said.

Chinonso said he and his workers now suspend activities during the afternoon and resume in the evening when temperatures become more bearable.

He expressed concern that prolonged periods of extreme heat could affect work schedules, reduce customer patronage and slow productivity.

He identified adequate shade as one of the measures that could help outdoor workers cope with the situation.

Beyond its economic consequences, extreme heat has also raised concerns among residents and healthcare workers over its possible effects on health.

Mr Jeffrey Onu, a nurse at Olohi Gocho Pharmacy, Sokale, said some people visiting the facility had complained about the hot weather.

He advised residents to drink sufficient water regularly, get adequate rest and maintain good personal hygiene to reduce the risk of heat-related health problems.

Onu also urged people to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, and to seek shade or remain in cool, well-ventilated places whenever possible.

He further advised residents experiencing skin irritation to avoid scratching affected areas and using harsh creams or skincare products that could worsen the condition.

“My advice is that in this hot weather, people should drink enough water and take their rest.

“Excessive heat causes a lot of sicknesses in the human system, some of which may not even be detected on time,” he said.

Ms Tope Ayoola, another FCT resident, said the intense heat had left her exhausted, caused excessive sweating and made it difficult to sleep comfortably at night.

“The heat is too much. It makes me feel tired and weak. I sweat a lot and I can’t sleep well at night,” she said.

Ayoola said she coped by drinking more water, staying indoors during the afternoon and taking cold baths.

She added that she had experienced headaches and heat rashes, which she attributed to the excessive heat.

Similarly, Ms Tolu Idayat said the hot weather had affected her concentration and productivity, sometimes leaving her with headaches and tiredness.

She said she coped by drinking plenty of water, wearing light clothing and bathing regularly.

Idayat appealed to the government to improve electricity supply and access to clean water, while creating public awareness on measures residents could adopt to protect themselves from excessive heat.

Mr Israel Bulus, a resident of Apo, described the hot weather as a seasonal experience to which residents had continued to adapt.

He said he sometimes took baths up to three times at night to obtain relief from the heat, adding that he remained concerned about its possible health implications.

Across the communities, residents called for improved electricity and water supply, saying reliable access to both services would reduce the financial pressure on households and businesses while making it easier to cope with extreme temperatures.

They also urged relevant authorities to intensify public awareness on heat-related health risks and practical measures to reduce exposure to excessive heart.

Education

STAKEHOLDERS LAUD RUHSOSA AS PROF WILSON, ENGR NWONODI AWARD SCHOLARSHIP TO 22 STUDENTS, PLEDGE JAMB FEES FOR SS3 STUDENTS IN AGBA-NDELE

Published

12 hours ago

November 9, 2026

The Tide

Education stakeholders and leaders of Agba-Ndele community in Rundele Kingdom, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, have commended the Rundele High School Old Students Association, RUHSOSA, for it’s sustained efforts in reviving the almost moribund Rundele High School, Agba-Ndele.

The commendation came on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, during a brief ceremony at the school to officially hand over educational materials to 22 beneficiaries of the first phase of the Prof. Goddey Wilson and Engr. Chike Nwonodi Scholarship Scheme.

Materials distributed to the students included RUHSOSA-branded exercise books, textbooks, school bags, sandals and free school uniforms, among others.

President of RUHSOSA, Dr. Daniel Agbovu, who handed over the items alongside the Chairman of Agba-Ndele Community Development Committee, CDC, Chief Ishmael Anwuri and Prof. Wilson, thanked the two donors for partnering with the association.

Dr. Agbovu encouraged the teachers not to relent in impacting the students, while charging the beneficiaries and other students to take their studies seriously, recalling his own humble beginning in the same school.

He said, “Take your studies seriously. We started the way you started. I schooled here in this same school in the village because my parents didn’t have money to take me outside this community. We struggled, we read our books to become what we are today. So I pray that you will grow more than us.”

Agba-Ndele CDC Chairman and a pioneer student of the school, Chief Ishmael Anwuri, commended Prof. Wilson and Engr. Nwonodi for making the community proud through their investment in educational development.

He described RUHSOSA’s intervention in the school in less than a year of its formation as remarkable and impactful.

Chief Anwuri recalled that the school, which started as Community Secondary School, Agba-Ndele and was later renamed Rundele High School in 1984, was once ridiculed as “High Elementary School,” but has gone on to produce great leaders in society.

He advised the students not to be discouraged by their environment but to take their studies seriously, embrace self-discipline and hard work.

“When we started, those who were schooling outside were ridiculing us, saying the school we attended was High Elementary School. But we were not discouraged. Today, most of those that schooled at home here have excelled in several areas, more than many of those who schooled outside.

“Do not mind the environment you are today. Don’t be discouraged that you are schooling in Agba-Ndele. If you work hard, make use of your time, wake up in the night while others are sleeping to study your books, you will develop yourself. Education is about self-development,” he said.

Representing the school, Vice Principal, Administration, UBE, Mr. Daniel Wodo, lauded RUHSOSA for its timely intervention which he said is gradually bringing the school back to life from the brink of extinction.

“We are very happy for this development. You really surprised us and gave us hope. This school was going into extinction, gradually fading off. Last year, 2025 precisely, we had no JSS 1 students. Even until early this year we had nobody, we were afraid, we ran to the community. Thank God for the intervention of old students under RUHSOSA, your coming was timely and apt.

“I must say that your intervention has brought back hope to this school, RHS Agba-Ndele. You can see the number of new students, more people are still coming even from neighbouring communities because they are hearing about scholarship. God bless you all, especially Prof. Wilson and Engr. Nwonodi,” Wodo said.

Responding, Prof. Goddey Wilson, who spoke on behalf of himself and Engr. Chike Nwonodi, said their gesture was driven by divine mercy and the desire to give back to the school that laid their foundation.

Reflecting on his background and that of his co-sponsor and classmate, Engr. Nwonodi, who was Senior Prefect while he was Library Prefect, he encouraged the students to work hard, be serious with their studies and not to use poverty as an excuse, assuring that as poverty did not stop them, it will not limit the students either.

“If not God’s mercy, who am I that I should not be consumed? We are not the first group that graduated here, we are not the fourth or the fifth, we were not also from a rich background, but God has chosen us because of His mercy.

“Most of these old students here didn’t come from a rich background just like some of you. Chike’s father was very poor, my father was also among the poorest in the community but that didn’t stop us from being serious with our studies.

“I passed my common entrance to school at St. Aquinas but because my father couldn’t meet up with boarding house fees, I was denied. The second opportunity was at G.S.S. Abua, yet we couldn’t meet up accommodation and others. So the option became RHS Agba-Ndele. So, I started coming like any of you. And God showed mercy on me.

“What we are doing today with Engr. Chike Nwonodi is to tell you that the poverty of your parents cannot stop you. Don’t say your parents are poor, that you can’t go to school, it’s a very big lie. Like I said earlier, my father was a very poor man doing his business, but poverty in my family did not stop me. Poverty in your family will never stop you in the name of Jesus,” he said.

He frowned at attitude of both students and teachers absenting themselves from school, charging them (especially the students) to be regular in school.

“My children, listen, don’t miss school, don’t go to farm on school days. When you go back home today, tell your parents that Professor Wilson said I should not go to farm on school days. Go to farm on Saturdays, and on Sundays go to church, but Monday through Friday make sure you are in school. And when you come, make sure you learn and copy your notes,” he said.

Prof. Wilson also announced future plans, including provision of textbooks for students of other classes both in UBE (junior) and Senior Secondary levels, especially Mathematics and English textbooks by December 2026, and payment of JAMB registration fees for SS3 students who are serious with their studies.

“During our AGM meeting by December, we shall provide Maths and English textbooks for all the JSS 2, JSS 3, SS1 and SS2 students. I learnt we have about 8 to 10 SS3 students present in school today, get their names. All those who are serious with their studies in SS3 must write JAMB automatically. I will talk with Chike. If out of ten, four or five of them get admission, we have succeeded. We will then take it from there,” he said.

E-signed

EMMANUEL O. NLEWEDUM

Education

PIDOMSON UNVEILS RADICAL EDUCATIONAL BLUEPRINT DIALOGUE

Published

1 week ago

November 2, 2026

The Tide

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, Dr. Sir Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson, PhD, has presented his comprehensive educational blueprint as part of his 10-Point Agenda for the state.

Dr. Pidomson unveiled the blueprint on Friday during the Rivers We Want 2027 Governorship Dialogue, organized by the Center for Peace and Security Studies, Port Harcourt, and convened under the Rivers Peace Initiative (RPI).

The dialogue, designed as a citizen-focused platform for constructive engagement ahead of the 2027 election, brought together stakeholders, civil society actors and the media to interrogate the vision of governorship hopefuls.

Presenting his agenda titled “Building The Rivers We Deserve,” the former Secretary to the Rivers State Government said education remains the foundation of his prosperity agenda for all Rivers people.

According to him, his administration will overhaul public schools to provide a conducive learning environment, strengthen technical and vocational education, and invest massively in teacher training and retraining to prepare Rivers students to compete globally.

Dr. Pidomson noted that his education reform will be tied to job creation, entrepreneurship, digital technology, agriculture and manufacturing, so that young people become employers of labour rather than job seekers.

He commended the organizers of the Rivers We Want Dialogue for creating a fair and inclusive platform where candidates can present their ideas directly to the people, rather than through ethnic sentiments or imposition.

The ADC candidate reiterated that his campaign will be built on ideas, discipline and people-centred solutions, stressing that no local government or community will be treated as an afterthought in his government.

By: Akujobi Amadi