The launch of the Nigerian Students Loan Scheme has been postponed indefinitely by the Federal Government. Akintunde Sawyer, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, revealed this during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday.
The scheme, aimed at providing interest-free loans to Nigerians for higher education, was initially proposed by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. President Bola Tinubu signed the bill for the scheme in June 2023, with an intended start date between September and October 2023.
Despite missing the October deadline, President Tinubu announced that the programme would commence in January 2024. The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, confirmed in January that preparations for the program, including the Student Loan Scheme website and program commencement plans, were complete.
However, just 48 hours before the scheduled launch, Sawyer announced the postponement of the scheme due to necessary corrections being made. He expressed the need for alignment among stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable roll-out. Sawyer refrained from committing to a specific date, emphasizing the importance of thorough preparation to avoid any surprises.
