FG Gives Update, Says Student Loan Scheme Not Postponed Indefinitely

The Federal Government has clarified that the launch of the student loan scheme has not been postponed indefinitely.

The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Sonny Echono, who made the clarification, said the postponement of the scheme is just a matter of weeks in order to tie up some loose ends.

Recall the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyer, had on Tuesday, March 12, disclosed that the student loan scheme initiated by the administration of President Bola Tinubu had been postponed indefinitely.

Sawyer said that the launch had been postponed because some fine-tuning was being done around the scheme launch itself.

However, speaking at the TETFUND headquarters in Abuja when the governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, paid him a courtesy visit, Echono said the scheme would kick off in a matter of weeks.

According to the TETFUND boss, “The loan has not been postponed indefinitely, there’s just a little housekeeping that needs to be done, the president has arrangements in place for the launch.

“We are discussing a matter of days, maximum weeks for it to take off. The president is very committed to this, and I can assure you that this is going to be done in the best way.

“We don’t want to hurriedly launch the programme, and there are objections, and it isn’t sustained.

“We’re making sure that the loan can accommodate as many that need it. Even for people with skills, it’s going to be a game changer. We’re working hand in hand with JAMB, we know when admissions will commence, so we are not far behind.

“In the next couple of weeks, the scheme will take off, and it will accommodate everyone, even students of vocational studies.”