“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.
“One thing that I will commit to is that this is a
well-intended project. The president, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well
around this and absolutely wants this rolled out as fast as possible, and we’re
working very hard to help realise that,” Sawyer said.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had on June 12, 2023,
signed into law the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, marking a significant
step forward in the provision of interest-free loans for underprivileged
students in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Tinubu’s minister, Dele Alake, who was a member of the then
Presidential Strategy Team, said the move was made in fulfilment of one of
Tinubu’s campaign promises to liberalize funding for education.
The Loan Scheme was initially slated to take effect in
September, but the implementation was delayed.
Nonetheless, Tinubu remained resolute, asserting that the
program would be launched in January 2024.
The presidency then eventually announced that the scheme
will be introduced on Thursday, the 14th of March, which has now been
postponed.
