FG Postpones Launch Of Students Loan Indefinitely

The federal government has postponed the launch of the Nigerian Students Loan Scheme indefinitely.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyer, made this known during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday.

Recall that on June 12, 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023 into law, to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had proposed the bill and it was supposed to start between September and October 2023.

Following several postponements of the launch, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ajuri Ngelale, DISCLOSED (Link) last week that President Bola Tinubu will launch the Student Loan Scheme on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

However, barely 48 hours before the launch, Sawyer said the loan scheme was postponed due to some corrections that were 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.