Stakeholders in the education industry have cautioned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent adoption of the Access to University Education Act, also known as the Student Loan Act, may prove to be a booby-trap for many young Nigerians hoping to pursue university education.
They contend that the bill’s passage into law was rushed, lacked appropriate consideration, and violated the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution that specifically stated that tuition is free at all public institutions in Nigeria.
Remember that the Nigerian government previously stated that the Act’s purpose was to offer interest-free loans to Nigerians who wanted to pursue higher education.
According to The Punch, beneficiaries are only allowed under the Act’s criteria if they are children or wards of parents with annual incomes of no more than N500,000 ($1,000).
Another requirement limits the loan to covering tuition costs, which are currently nonexistent at many federally funded tertiary schools.
Additionally, it added that the loan, which is scheduled to begin in September, is intended to be repaid two years after the National Youth Service is completed.
The introduction of the Student Loan Act, according to Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), could delay the aspirations of many young Nigerians who depend on public institutions to pursue tertiary education.
The ASUU President acknowledged that the union has not yet had access to an accurate copy of the law signed by President Tinubu, but in a press interview, he claimed that the government may come up with another Act that will formally introduce tuition fees, adding that the union had previously voiced strong opposition to the move when it was introduced by former President Muhammad Buhari.
While enlightening Nigerians on what many believed to be tuition paid in public schools, Sowande emphasized that no public university in Nigeria pays tuition. Instead, students must pay a variety of fees, including those for health care, identification cards, and hostel accommodations where they are available.
The National Association of Nigerian Students-Diaspora (NANSD), the group that represents students in higher education both at home and abroad, has been quite complimentary of President Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for keeping its commitment to students.
NANS-D applauded the administration’s decision in a statement headlined “NANS Diaspora Appreciate President Tinubu Over Students Friendly Policy” that was sent in response to Sunday Independent.
Abubakar urged the President to expand the loan program to Nigerian students studying abroad, claiming that they are not in a paradisiacal existence.
Akinteye Babatunde, the National Vice President for External Affairs of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), praised the legislation but voiced concerns about the possibility of the introduction of tuition or other fees now paid by students.
While acknowledging that the Act, if faithfully executed, would help “many students in this country that are struggling because of fees,” Akinteye issued a warning that the student body would not support any move by the government to raise existing rates in colleges.
Abdussobur Salaam, the National Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), opposed the government-imposed Act and expressed concerns that it was being imposed on Nigerians without “due consultations.” He also added that it may increase the burden on students and parents and create new opportunities for corruption.
According to him, it would be challenging for Nigerians to benefit from the loans because of the Act’s conditions, and those who might benefit face the danger of having to start making payments two years after graduation.
In a presentation on a Twitter panel, Kunle Somoye, a former special assistant to Femi Gbajabiamila, the bill’s sponsor and former speaker of the House of Representatives, said the law was the result of a difficult process that included the convening of an education summit by the legislature.
He claimed that in addition to the summit and the public hearing held before the bill’s passing, the member made sure that the fees already levied by different public tertiary institutions around the nation were taken into account and the average measured before defining the guidelines.
National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Soweto, responded to the Act by promising Nigerians that the rights organization would have a public briefing on the issue in the coming days. Soweto criticized what he dubbed the “Greek Gift.”
Mr. Ajani Popoola, a worried parent with two university-enrolled children, objected to the addition of new responsibilities for parents and guardians and pleaded with the federal government not to use the Act as a ruse to end the nation’s education subsidies.
He continued by saying that the commercialization of higher education would not be good for the nation and he urged the government to do more than just support the TETFund by approving additional funding for the industry.
