Education
Stakeholders Flay Students’ Loan Programme
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
Otu Inaugurates UNICROSS, UEE’s Governing Councils

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu has inaugurated the newly constituted Governing Councils of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) and the University of Education and Entrepreneurship (UEE), Akamkpa.
At the ceremony on Thursday in Calabar, the Governor urged the members to drive institutional excellence, ensure accountability, and align with global best practices.
Governor Otu acknowledged that UNICROSS had long suffered from what many perceived as gross neglect, particularly in terms of physical development.
“After a deep thought and consultation, and having considered all available facts and evidence, I am today opening a new chapter in the relationship between government and its institutions of higher education,” the Governor declared.
He emphasised that while his administration is committed to a renewed focus on higher education, this attention must be matched with transparency and responsibility by the universities’ management.
The same expectation, he said, applies to the University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa.
Governor Otu stated that the appointments into both councils and management were carefully considered and reflect the state’s finest minds and seasoned professionals.
“I have taken pains in appointing some of the best that the State has in both the Governing Councils and Management of the institutions. I implore you to apply your wealth of experience in making the institutions world-class,” he charged.
He also stressed the importance of respecting the distinct roles of Councils and management, pointing out that most university problems emanate from role conflict or interference. He tasked each of the councils to stick strictly to its clearly defined functions.
The Governor encouraged council members to leverage their networks to attract new sources of funding and value to their institutions.
“Do not limit yourselves to already known threads of resource sources.”, he said.
Education
Kaduna Cuts Tertiary Tuition Fees By 50%

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has announced a 50 percent reduction in tuition fees for all Kaduna State-owned tertiary institutions, describing it as a major step toward removing barriers to higher education.
Speaking through his Principal Private Secretary, Professor Bello Ayuba, at the inauguration of the Kaduna State University Chapter of the Kaduna State Students Union, the Governor said the policy has made it easier for students from low-income backgrounds to pursue university education in the state.
He expressed gratitude to the students for presenting him with the Sword of Honour Award and for recognising the achievements of his administration, which were highlighted during the event’s public lecture.
He promised, “Government will continue to support students and the youth generally to realize their ambitions. On your part, make sure that an atmosphere of peace prevails to allow for government’s development programmes to run their full course.’’
The Governor advised students not to allow agents of disunity and chaos to use them to destabilize their communities and steer them away from their career goals.
Governor Sani reminded the students and lecturers at the event that ‘’no meaningful development can be achieved in a state of chaos, disunity and mutual mistrust.’’
However, he said that ‘’going by your conduct over the period that I have been at the helm of affairs of our state so far, you are reliable partners of progress and I can count on you every step of the way.’’
The governor recalled that Kaduna State was under siege owing to the insecurity in some of the local government areas, which had dire consequences on agricultural and business activities.
He noted that the security challenges have now been drastically reduced owing to the combined commitment of security agencies, resulting in safer high ways, people returning to farms and the opening of local markets.
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The governor further said that the Birnin Gwari cattle market which had been closed for over 10 years, has been reopened, so have the other markets in security challenged areas in Giwa local government.
Education
Rivers Poly Matriculates 1, 882 Fresh Students

The management of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic,Rumuola, Port Harcourt, Rivers State has admitted 1,882 fresh students to study various courses and programmes for the 2024)2024 academic session.
This announcement was made by the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Moses Neebee during the 34th matriculation ceremony of the institution held in Port Harcourt over the weekend.
Dr Neebee described convocation as an annual rituals of every institution used to mark the end of admission process, adding that the polytechnic has recorded some academic milestones and achievements.
According to him, the institution recorded 100 percent in the just concluded NABTE accreditation and resources visitation exercise, adding that all the 24 courses presented by the institution during the accreditation were approved including the almighty Diploma in Law.
According to the admission statistics provided by the Rector,1,510 students were admitted for the National Diploma programmes ,while 372 students were offered admission into the Higher National Diploma and part programmes of the polytechnic.
The Rector while congratulating the matriculants urged them to take their studies seriously and ensure that they pass through the institution and as well allow the institution pass through them and not only in learning but also in character.
“ Let me congratulate you all for your successes to scale through the rigorous hurdles of our admission processes. Take advantage of the various technical and entrepreneur skills in the school to equip your self which will make yourselves employed and be better equipped in the society”, he said.
The Rector warned them to desist from any activities that will jeopardise their academic success, stressing that the school has zero tolerance for cultism, examination malpractices, sorting and sexual abuse.
He used the opportunity to thank the state government for the support given to the school especially in the areas of infrastructure development.
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