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Student Loan Bill: Tinubu passionate about education, says minister

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Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman

Student Loan Bill: Tinubu passionate about education, says minister

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Monday, March 18, said President Bola Tinubu does not want any child of school age to be out of school, because of his passion for the education sector.

This is even as Senate president Godswill Akpabio said that the legislative agenda of the 10th National Assembly will bring about tremendous improvement in the standard of living of Nigerians.

Tahir and Akpabio spoke in Abuja during a Public Hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund and House of Representatives Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing on Student Loan (Access to Higher Education), repeal and reenactment Bill 2024, at the Senate, on Monday.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Mamman, commended President Tinubu for his passion and commitment to the education sector.

He said the president does not want any child of school age to be out of school, given his passion for the sector.

He said the public hearing would provide an opportunity to make further input to improve the bill for the good of Nigerian students.

Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, he commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his foresight and uncommon passion in supporting the students of the country with the loan scheme.

He said the scheme will address the problems of lack of funding among Nigerian students.

“The present 10th National Assembly at its inception in 2023 set out for itself a legislative agenda whose implementation will surely bring about a tremendous improvement in the living conditions/standards of the citizenry with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akpabio said.

In amending the bill, Akpabio said the opinions of all stakeholders would be considered to have the best legislation.

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“I wish to urge you to freely express your views and opinions either for or against the subject of this hearing in a manner that will bring about the sustenance of our collective will to be together as a nation to call ours.

“Public Hearings are one of the primary legislative processes that offer the general public and especially relevant stakeholders the opportunity to contribute their quota to law-making.

“There is no doubt that your views at this Joint Public Hearing will go a long way in assisting the committee make an informed recommendation (s) to the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.

“It is this submission/recommendation of the Committees that the Senate and the House of Representatives will rely on to pass/make relevant laws for the good governance of our citizenry as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended,” he said.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse, said access to quality higher education was a pressing concern for many Nigerian students.

He said the student loan scheme offers hope for addressing issues of students and ultimately improving Nigeria’s tertiary education.

He said the scheme would promote access to education and enable more students to pursue their dreams.

Dandutse said the successful implementation of the scheme would unlock a brighter future for the youths and the entire nation.

He stated: “By removing financial barriers, these initiatives will enable more students to pursue higher studies, leading to a larger pool of skilled graduates who contribute to the country’s social and economic development. Increased literacy rates foster economic growth, social progress, and democratic participation.”

He urged all stakeholders to make valuable inputs to effect positive change in the act and drive progress in the nation’s tertiary education sector.

Also on Monday, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), called for the provision of study grants for Nigerian students in the Bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (Nelfund).

President of NANS, Mr. Lucky Emonele, in his presentation at the public hearing on the 2024 Students Loans Access to Higher Education Bill 2024, commended President Tinubu for responding to the request of NANS, by including its leadership as representatives of the students on the loan board.

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He also commended the decision to repeal the act to address grey areas that could hinder the success of the student loan scheme.

According to him, there is a need to make provision of grants for students, to enable them to complete or further their studies.

This, he said would encourage more students to enroll in school and alleviate the burden that the loans may place on beneficiaries.

“If the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) could earmark N683 billion on public tertiary institutions in 2024, without requesting for payback from beneficiary institutions, Nigerian students should not be treated any different,” he said.

He said the proposed repayment period of two years post-National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) for the loan was not realistic, saying that less than 10 per cent of Nigerian graduates get absorbed into the labour force upon completion of their NYSC.

The NANS President, therefore proposed for a minimum of five years repayment duration, given the challenges of unemployment after graduation.

He also appealed that the provision of a loan scheme should not be a further reason to arbitrarily increase school fees by the management of tertiary institutions.

He urged the National Assembly to pass a resolution that prohibits public tertiary institutions from increasing school fees in the next 10 years.

This, he said was the only way to sustain the act when enacted.

Some of the stakeholders at the public hearing included officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) among others.

Student Loan Bill: Tinubu passionate about education, says minister

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Just in: Factional Zamfara assembly leaders want governor to represent budget

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2025

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Just in: Factional Zamfara assembly leaders want governor to represent budget

A factional House of Assembly has emerged in Zamfara state with members demanding the re-presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill by Governor Dauda Lawal.

The group, made up of nine lawmakers who were suspended in February 2024 over allegations of misconduct, conspiracy, and illegal sitting, convened in Gusau, the state capital, and declared the formation of a parallel legislative body.

At the session, the lawmakers elected Hon. Bashir Aliyu Gummi as Speaker of the factional assembly.

During the sitting, the faction addressed several issues, including the state’s deteriorating security situation, economic challenges, and the recent reports of mass sackings within the state civil service allegedly carried out by the Lawal administration.

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The group further demanded that Governor Lawal re-present the 2025 budget, arguing that the process followed in its initial passage was flawed. The governor had originally submitted the N545 billion Appropriation Bill to the widely-known State House of Assembly led by Speaker Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki in December 2024. The bill was passed and signed into law that same month.

Present at Wednesday’s session were Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara (Talata Mafara South), Ibrahim Tudu Tukur (Bakura), Nasiru Abdullahi Maru (Maru North), and Faruk Musa Dosara (Maradun 1). Others included Bashar Aliyu (Gummi 1), Bashir Abubakar Masama (Bukkuyum North), Amiru Ahmed (Tsafe West), Basiru Bello (Bungudu West), and Mukhtaru Nasiru (Kaura Namoda North).

 

Just in: Factional Zamfara assembly leaders want governor to represent budget

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NLC to IMF: Your reforms inflict hunger, poverty on masses

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2025

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President of the NLC, Comrade Joseph Ajaero

NLC to IMF: Your reforms inflict hunger, poverty on masses

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken a swipe at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over its policy proposals to Nigeria and other African nations on how to rejuvenate their ailing economies.

Indeed, the NLC pointedly told the IMF that its conditionalities for giving loans to Nigeria and others were inflict pains of hunger and poverty on the masses.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated this when he received the IMF team team comprising the its Resident Representative for Nigeria, Christian H. Ebeke, and, Axel Schimmelpfennig from Washington, DC.

The purpose of the visit, it was learnt, was to assess how Nigerian workers and the general populace are being affected by the current socioeconomic environment and the hardship resulting from government policies.

The IMF delegation, led by Schimmelpfennig also sought insights from the NLC regarding the state of the labour market in Nigeria. According to them, the information gathered would contribute to the IMF’s annual country report for Nigeria.

Sources at the meeting disclosed that the IMF team acknowledged that the Nigerian government has been grappling with fiscal challenges since assuming office.

They emphasized that the IMF’s recommendations are purely advisory and not mandatory, based on the prevailing realities in each country.

The delegation expressed concern that, often, governments do not follow the IMF’s recommendations to the letter, instead adapting them to align with political objectives. In effect, the IMF attempted to distance itself from the adverse consequences of some recent economic reforms in Nigeria.

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Nevertheless, the IMF team requested continued engagement with the NLC going forward.

Ajaero made it clear that governance should prioritize citizens’ welfare over profit-making.

He criticized the austerity measures often recommended by the IMF, noting that they have worsened living conditions for Nigerians.

It was gathered that Ajaero particularly highlighted the removal of fuel subsidies, which he said has led to increased suffering, hunger, and poverty among workers and the general population.

The NLC president argued that there was no real subsidy to remove in the first place, as the government was already profiting from crude oil sales.

He described the “subsidy removal” as merely a justification for increasing fuel prices.

He equally questioned the use of the revenue purportedly saved from the subsidy removal, especially since the government continues to borrow heavily.

“He pointed out that the cost of essential services—such as education and transportation—has tripled, leading to widespread hardship.

He condemned the growing disparity between the worsening living conditions of citizens and the increasing wealth of government officials.”

Ajaero emphasized that genuine reforms should improve the welfare of the people, not enrich those in power.

He also criticized the government for not consulting key stakeholders before implementing the subsidy removal policy.

This exclusion, he said, had exacerbated the country’s economic challenges.

He noted that inclusive dialogue could have produced better strategies and outcomes, lamenting that the government has isolated itself from valuable advice.”

On the national minimum wage, the NLC president complained that the N70,000 wage is not being implemented sincerely across all levels of government. Instead, the government has continued to impose additional taxes, worsening the financial burden on citizens.

Ajaero urged the IMF to advise the government to ease this pressure and allow citizens to breathe.

He warned that rising poverty levels could lead to social unrest if left unaddressed.

NLC to IMF: Your reforms inflict hunger, poverty on masses

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‘Enough is enough’, Tinubu directs security chiefs to stop violent attacks

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2 days ago

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April 23, 2025

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‘Enough is enough’, Tinubu directs security chiefs to stop violent attacks

 

President Bola Tinubu has ordered security operatives to end forthwith the violent attacks in some parts of the country, especially in Plateau, Borno, and Benue states.
He gave the directive during a meeting with security chiefs at the State House on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA); Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); Emmanuel Undianeye, chief of defence intelligence; Oluwatosin Ajayi, director-general (DG) of the Department of State Services (DSS); and Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff (CoS) to the President.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Ribadu said Tinubu declared that “enough is enough” on the resurgence of violence in some parts of the country.
The NSA said the president directed security chiefs to work with the political authorities in states and at the grassroots level to find a lasting solution to the insecurity.
He said the security chiefs had acted on Tinubu’s previous instructions by meeting with political leaders in the affected communities and states.
The NSA said the meeting offered the security chiefs the opportunity to fully brief the president about the current security situation of the country.
“This time, we were able to sit with him for hours and give a proper briefing. We also took new instructions from him,” he said.
“Insecurity is not only a government problem.
“It also involves the subnational units — the communities, local governments, and especially the governors. The president directed that we work more closely with them.
“Some of these problems are community-related. While not entirely so, that element plays a significant role.
“Mr. President is working hard to ensure that Nigeria enjoys peace and stability. We are not relenting. We will not stop until we get the results he demands.”
On the resurgence of violent attacks in Borno, Ribadu said the terrorists were planting explosives during the period of relative peace in the state.
“This enemy does not give up easily. When there’s peace for a long time, they try to shock the public with an isolated incident,” he said.
The NSA said the security situation in the country is not yet at 100 percent, while noting that there is “significant improvement”.
Since the beginning of the month, many have been killed in some communities in Plateau State.
Benue State has also recorded violent attacks as over 50 people were killed in Ukum and Logo LGAs on April 18.

 

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