Tinubu postpones students’ loan launch after months of gimmicks about it
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Bola Tinubu has postponed indefinitely the launch of the students’ loan scheme which bill he signed into law just days after he became President, marking the flop of another gimmick for mere media headlines by an administration yet to achieve just one concrete thing for the benefit of citizens nine months on.
Nigerian Education Loan Fund Executive Secretary Akintunde Sawyer on Tuesday announced the indefinite postponement on Arise News, which comes after other several postponements and tinkering meant to stave off protest by students without really delivering on promise.
Tinubu in June 2023 signed the Students Loan Fund Bill into law to give interest-free loans to Nigerians for tertiary education.
Former House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, now Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, proposed the bill when he was a lawmaker and after it became law, it was announced the scheme would take off between September and October 2023.
Tinubu and his people later said it would begin in January 2024.
That month, Education Minister Yusuf Sununu announced preparation for the take off had been concluded, including the creation of the Student Loan Scheme website.
Then Tinubu told National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) leaders the programme would start once more features like vocational studies were added.
But 48 hours to the new launch date, Sawyer disclosed on Tuesday the scheme has been put on ice due to corrections being made around the launch.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to commit to a specific date. We are sort of waiting to ensure that all the stakeholders are aligned to make sure that nobody is blindsided, then we can actually roll this out in a meaningful, comprehensive, wholesome and sustainable way,” he said on Arise News.
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