Nigerian President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday announced that the Student Loan Scheme, approved on June 12, 2023, would begin in January 2024 while promising that episodes of industrial action by academic staff unions of tertiary institutions would become a thing of the past.
“By January 2024, the new Students Loan Programme must commence. To the future of our children and students, we’re saying no more strikes,” Tinubu said when he declared open the 29th session of the annual Nigeria Economic Summit at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The NES is anchored by the non-profit think-tank, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Tinubu, while explaining his administration’s plans to stabilise the economy through the collaboration of all stakeholders, especially the private sector, noted the need to initiate a sustainable credit scheme immediately.
He reasoned that such a scheme would aid an effective anti-corruption campaign
“There must be consumer credit; the scheme will have to come into effect as soon as possible.
“I thank my team and my colleagues for building this programme, develop it now.
“We cannot talk about anti-corruption when you have to look for cash to buy a car when there’s no mortgage for homeownership”, he said.
The development is coming 72 hours after the president approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities following the commencement of their eight-month strike, which began on February 14, 2022, and was terminated on October 17, 2022.
