The launch of the Nigerian students Loan has been postponed indefinitely by the Federal Government, News About Nigeria reports.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyer, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday.
He noted that the loan scheme was postponed due to some corrections that were being made around the launch, adding that no specific date has been reached towards the launch.
According to him, the federal government was ensuring that all things needed for the students loan are in place to ensure a meaningful, comprehensive, wholesome and sustainable method.
“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.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in June 2023, signed a bill to start a Students Loan Fund that would give interest-free loans to Nigerians for higher education.
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, proposed the bill and it was supposed to start between September and October 2023.
However, President Bola Tinubu stated that the programme would begin in January 2024, after missing the October deadline.
Also, in January, Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, stated at a meeting that preparations for the program were finished, noting that the preparations included included making the Student Loan Scheme website and planning how to start the programme.
