By Latiifah Amusan
President Bola Tinubu has announced a revised commencement date for the Access to Higher Education Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law.
The President, fulfilling his campaign pledge, introduced this law to ease the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The law has faced scrutiny and skepticism since its approval in June.
The delay in implementing this initiative raised concerns among Nigerians, questioning whether it would ever materialize.
Critics have also voiced apprehensions that the law might serve as a precursor to tuition fees in higher education institutions.
Notably, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejoh, previously disclosed that the program would launch in September.
However, the program’s rollout did not proceed as scheduled.
Speaking at the 29th National Economic Summit on Monday, President Tinubu asserted that the student loan program “must commence” in January 2024.
“By January 2024, the new Students Loan Programme must commence. To the future of our children and students, we are saying no more strikes,” reaffirming his commitment to addressing higher education accessibility and the challenges posed by fuel subsidy removal.
