By Business A.M.
President Bola Tinubu has signed the Student Loan Bill into law, aimed at providing interest free loans to indigent Nigerian students.
The President’s assent to the bill is in fulfilment of one of his promises to liberalise funding of education in the country by providing access to students in tertiary institutions across the country and increasing enrollment.
David Adejo Andrew,the permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, made the disclosure recently while addressing newsmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The permanent secretary stated that the newly assented bill will provide easy access to higher education for Nigerians through interest free loans through the Nigerian Education Bank with a view to provide education for all Nigerians.
Business A.M gathered that the student loan bill was sponsored by Femi Gbajabiamila,
the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, and passed the third reading at the House, two weeks ago.
According to the bill, all students seeking higher education in any public institution of higher learning in Nigeria shall have equal rights to access the loan without any form of discrimination arising from gender, religion, tribe, position or disability of any kind. It also stipulates that the loan shall be granted to students only for the payment of tuition fees.
