Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Category: Education

  • Tinubu Signs Students Loan Bill Into Law

    Tinubu Signs Students Loan Bill Into Law

    President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024, into law.

    This development follows individual reviews by both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the report from the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.

    The Bill sponsored by Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District of Ekiti State, Bamidele Opeyemi aims to improve the execution of the Higher Education Student Loan Scheme in Nigeria by tackling issues related to the management structure of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, applicant eligibility criteria, loan purposes, funding sources, and procedures for disbursement and repayment.

    Under this Bill, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) would be established as a legal entity with the authority to litigate and be litigated in its own name, and it would possess the power to acquire, hold, and dispose of both movable and immovable property to fulfill its functions.

    In essence, the Bill enables the Fund to offer loans to eligible Nigerians for their tuition, fees, charges, and living expenses while studying in approved tertiary institutions and vocational training centers in Nigeria.

    In contrast to the previous 2023 Act, which placed the Fund’s administration under a Special Committee chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, this Bill proposes changes in the management structure.

    Furthermore, the Bill eliminates the income-based eligibility criterion set by the existing law, which required an annual income of less than N500,000 for applicants or their families.

    The Bill also broadens the scope of eligibility, allowing students from federally or state-established tertiary institutions and government-approved vocational institutions to apply, with specific criteria to be determined by the Fund.

    Additionally, unlike the 2023 Act, which limited loan applications solely to tuition fees, the new Bill permits applicants to request loans to cover various institutional charges and maintenance allowances.

  • Three University Students Die In Stampede As Nasarawa Govt Distributes Rice

    Three University Students Die In Stampede As Nasarawa Govt Distributes Rice

    The excruciating pang of hunger rampaging through Africa’s most populous nation exerted itself again today in Keffi, Nasarawa state, North Central Nigeria as three students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), reportedly died on Friday in a stampede during the distribution of rice palliative by the state government.

    The incident happened at the university’s convocation square in Keffi, where the bags of rice were kept awaiting the arrival of the state Governor, Abdullahi Sule, for the commencement of distribution.

    However, the surging crowd of students waiting to enter the square overpowered the security personnel and broke in through the gate, causing a stampede.

    An eyewitness, Moses Ajah, who spoke with journalists, described the incident as unfortunate.

    He said some students picked up bags of rice and ran to their hostels and other places of residence even as the governor was yet to arrive to inaugurate the distribution.

    He said, “Some of the students were struggling with the police over the rice, and as more students got information, the situation degenerated.

    “As we speak some students are injured and receiving treatment at the school.”

    Police officers have begun retrieving the palliatives from students.

    Meanwhile, the University’s Protocol Officer, Abraham Ekpo, confirmed the incident and promised to give details later.

  • National Assembly Passes Long-Awaited Student Loan Bill

    National Assembly Passes Long-Awaited Student Loan Bill

    The National Assembly, encompassing the Senate and the House of Representatives, has finally passed the much-anticipated student loan bill into law.

    After undergoing rigorous scrutiny with first, second, and third readings in both parliamentary chambers, the bill officially attained legal status on Wednesday.

    The Senate’s approval came following a thorough examination of the committee’s report on tertiary institutions and TETFUND, as presented by Muntari Dandutse, the committee’s chairperson, during a plenary session.

  • Students Loan Repayment: NANS Proposes Five Years plan

    Students Loan Repayment: NANS Proposes Five Years plan

    Nigeria student’s body, the National Association of Nigerian Students, has urged the federal government to extend the repayment plan for the proposed students loan to five years after post-NYSC instead of the initial two years post-NYSC plan.

    The body maintained that less than 10 per cent of graduates get absorbed into the labour market within two years post-NYSC, adding that it becomes unrealistic to expect beneficiaries of the loan scheme to begin repayment two years after the completion of the National Youth Service Corps.

    NANS President Lucky Emonele, made the proposal on Monday at a public hearing on the repeal and re-enactment of 2024 Students Loans Access to Higher Education Bill 2024 in Abuja. 

    Whioe commending President Bola Tinubu for responding to the request of NANS, by including its leadership as representatives of the students on the loan board, Emonele 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, the proposed repayment period of two years post-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 a minimum of five years repayment duration, given the challenges of unemployment after graduation.

    While calling for the provision of study grants for Nigerian students in the Act seeking to establish the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, Emonele also appealed that the provision of a loan scheme should not be a further reason for an arbitrary increment of school fees by the management of tertiary institutions.

    He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to pass a resolution that prohibits public tertiary institutions from increasing school fees in the next 10 years, saying it was the only way to sustain the act when enacted.

    According to him, there is also a need to make provision for 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 may be placed on the loans.

    “If the Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, could earmark N683bn for public tertiary institutions in 2024, without requesting for payback from beneficiary institutions, Nigerian students should not be treated any differently.”

    The public hearing was organised by the Senate Committee on Education and TETFUND and the House of Representatives Committee on Student Loan, Scholarship, and Higher Education Financing.

    In his words, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, commended President Bola Tinubu for his passion and commitment to the education sector, stating that the President does not want any child of school age to be out of school, given his passion for education.

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

  • NANS Reacts As FG Postpones Students Loan For Again 

    NANS Reacts As FG Postpones Students Loan For Again 

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has voiced discontent over the federal government’s decision to postpone the implementation of the student loan program. 

    The initiative, aimed at alleviating the financial burden on indigent students following the announcement of increased tuition fees in federal universities, has faced indefinite delays, as announced by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration on Tuesday.

    Initially conceived to cushion the impact of tuition hikes, the program’s repeated postponements have left financially disadvantaged students scrambling to find alternative means to cover their educational expenses.

    In response to this setback, NANS President, Pedro Chibuzo Obi, expressed frustration. 

    He emphasized the urgent need for dialogue between the union, the fund’s management, and the government to address the challenges obstructing the commencement of the student loan scheme.

    Obi underscored the importance of ensuring the program’s effectiveness and alignment with the interests of Nigerian students. He highlighted concerns regarding the ongoing academic session, noting that the delay may compromise the scheme’s ability to provide adequate support during this period.

    He asserted, “The delay is regrettable, but we are committed to facilitating the scheme’s prompt commencement to benefit the Nigerian student community. Despite the current academic session being halfway through, we urge swift action to ensure the program’s rollout without further delay.”

  • FG Postpones Launch of Students Loan

    FG Postpones Launch of Students Loan

    Barely 48 hours before its official launch, 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, disclosed this known during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday. 

    According to Sawyer, 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.

    The proposed bill sponsored by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was supposed to start between September and October 2023, after President Bola Tinubu, signed it into law in June 2023.

    The Students Loan Fund would give interest-free loans to Nigerians for higher education.

    Tinubu, had said the programme would begin in January 2024, after missing the October deadline.

    In January, Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, said at a meeting that preparations for the program were finished. This included making the Student Loan Scheme website and planning how to start the programme.

    Also, Tinubu told leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students that the programme would start once they added more features, like vocational studies.

  • BREAKING: SSANU, NASU Declare 7 Days Warning Strike

    BREAKING: SSANU, NASU Declare 7 Days Warning Strike

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have declared a 7-day warning strike to demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries of their members, after the 2022 nationwide strike.

    The decision was part of the resolution of the joint action committee of the two unions, after a meeting which held in Akure at the weekend.

    Recall that President Bola Tinubu had directed that workers in the public universities that embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022 but were not paid salaries within the period of the strike by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari should be paid for four months.

    While the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation has paid the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the four months as directed by the President, the three unions of non teaching staff are yet to be paid.
     

  • Tinubu’s daughter gets new appointment

    Tinubu’s daughter gets new appointment

    Mujidat Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu has been appointed as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Havilla University, in Nde Ikom, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria.

    She announced this in a post on her X page while expressing gratitude for the appointment.

    As the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Tinubu-Ojo will play a crucial role in overseeing and guiding the strategic direction of Havilla University.

    Pro Chancellors and Governing Council Chairs often play pivotal roles in higher education institutions’ governance, development, and sustainability.

  • SSANU Alleges Abandonment, Threatens Strike

    SSANU Alleges Abandonment, Threatens Strike

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) has alleged abandonment by the Federal Government.

    Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the President of SSANU Mohammed Ibrahim, accused the Federal Government of treating its members and that of the Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NASU) with “disdain”. 

    “We have to speak like this because we have been clearly shown that we do not matter in the system. But we all know that there is no university that can function without the non-teaching staff because we are majorly populated by professionals. We own the engine of the administration of every university. They are treating this segment of staff with some disdain. It does not speak good of the system,” he said during the show.

    He said the SSANU and NASU are yet to get a “dime” since President Tinubu’s approval of the payment of the salary backlog.

    “We have been waiting and our patience is running out,” the SSANU leader said.

    President Bola Tinubu, had directed the payment of withheld salaries for university workers owing to their strike of 2022. But SSANU, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) said they are yet to get salaries for the said period, threatening to go on strike.

  • Former Education Minister dies

    Former Education Minister dies

     

    Former Nigerian minister of education, Professor Fabian Osuji is dead.

    He died on Wednesday morning, according to a family member who confirmed the news.

    He had returned from a vacation in the United States on Saturday and had been treated for undisclosed medical issues.

    Osuji was born on January 20, 1942, and attended Holy Ghost College in Owerri, Government College in Umuahia, the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu State, and the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

    He conducted his post-doctoral research at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London.

    He became a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan in 1973, a post he held till 1981.

    He was also a Visiting Scientific Fellow at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

    He became a Dean of the College of Science, Dean of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and member of the Governing Council of Imo State University.

    He was appointed Professor of Applied Biology, at St. John’s University, New York (CUNY) USA (1997-1999).

    He was also a Visiting Professor at several universities in Nigeria and worldwide.

    Known as a scholars’ scholar, he published 35 papers and books to his credit.

    He celebrated his 80th birthday in 2022 when family and friends gathered to extol the virtue of a man highly regarded as a sound educationist.

    The former educationist died aged 81.