The Federal government has pulled the breaks on the launch of the Student Loan Scheme initially scheduled to hold on Thursday, March 14, 2024
The postponement was announced by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyer, during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday.
According to Sawyer, the launch had been postponed as there are some corrections that are being made around the launch itself.
He, however, did not give a new date for 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.
“One thing that I will commit to is that this is a well-intended project. The president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well around this and absolutely wants this rolled out as fast as possible, and we’re working very hard to help realise that,” Sawyer said.
President Bola Tinubu, on June 12, 2023, signed into law the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, marking a significant step forward in the provision of interest-free loans for underprivileged students in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Tinubu’s minister, Dele Alake, who was a member of the then Presidential Strategy Team, said the scheme is in fulfillment of one of Tinubu’s campaign promises to liberalize funding for education.
The Loan Scheme was initially slated to take effect in September, but the implementation was delayed.
Nonetheless, Tinubu remained resolute, asserting that the programme would be launched in January 2024.
The presidency then eventually announced that the scheme will be introduced on Thursday, March 14, which has now been postponed.