Following the passage of the Student Loan Act and subsequent comments from professionals in education about its implication, the Federal Government has finally disclosed that it can no longer foot the universities bill. This was made known by, Andrew David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education yesterday in Abuja while shading more light on the details of the student loan Act that President Tinubu signed into law on Monday.
Adejo said, “Introduction of tuition fee is not arising from the act; No! Whether we like it or not, the government can no longer foot the bill for universities. That is why we are doing Private Public Partnership (PPP).”
When the permanent secretary was asked whether, by implication, the federal government will introduce tuition fees, he responded, “The universities already have autonomy; the autonomy they are yet to have is financial autonomy. It is when they get it that they can answer that question and the government is working towards that.”
He added the federal government was already backing up the Act with action as modalities to disburse the loan by this September is already being considered as the president has directed that the first batch of student that will benefit should start with immediate effect in the 2023/2024 Academic calendar.
He hinted that the committee to over the process would be inaugurated on Tuesday next week by the inter-Ministerial to ensure students have access within six days of application.
Explaining, Adejo clarifies that the Act has made it clear that the purpose of the loan was to make sure that students who get the loan pay their tuition, saying, “Without meaning to say what the committee set up would do, we don’t want to make something that only public school students would benefit from.
“For now, private schools are paying tuition so you have to give somebody who is going to private school an opportunity to get and pay tuition.
“What you have been seeing is the bill that was presented and went through final reading at the House of Representatives and before Mr President signs a bill, he looks at it and sends it to relevant ministries and then decides if it is okay and if there are modifications that are necessary.
“Let us wait to see the Act and you will get the Act when it is transmitted to the Ministry of Justice to produce into a gazette.”
Although he revealed that part of the tuition fee, there are other fees that would make students require loans.
He explained, “You can’t give someone a loan and say pay tuition without sustaining his school. No. You have to get accommodation, even if tuition fee in public universities is free, you still pay for your accommodation, and the federal government would not give you loans that will not make sure you get into school, stay in school, and graduate.”
Adejo noted that though the successive administration in the past paid less attention to such a move, it is better late than never, saying, “We want the current act to learn from the mistake of the past where there were more defaulters than people that paid. In the past, it is like it is government money comes and takes and goes free money but that is not going to be the case with this.”
Meanwhile, he assured that the process would be very transparent void of political interference, and issues concerning employment would be addressed even if not 100% even though universities and polytechnics are being encouraged to be innovative by focusing on job creation.
