Student Loan Act will be counterproductive, will send many students out of school – ASUU explains

According to the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the recently signed Student Loan Bill by President Bola Tinubu has the potential to force numerous students to drop out of school.

Prof. Osodeke expressed this concern during a discussion with journalists on Wednesday, June 14. On Monday, Tinubu signed the bill, which he described as the fulfillment of one of his campaign promises. The objective of the bill is to provide tuition-free education to underprivileged students, with repayment required after graduation and securing employment.

However, Osodeke argued that the law would adversely affect millions of prospective students who rely on tuition-free higher education to acquire knowledge. He questioned the introduction of tuition fees in a country where over 133 million people live below the poverty line, stating that it would be counterproductive. Additionally, he raised concerns about the possibility of another bill being signed that introduces tuition fees.

Osodeke mentioned that this bill is not new, recalling how ASUU rejected it when it was proposed during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. He further stated that ASUU has not obtained an accurate copy of the law signed by Tinubu and emphasized that the proposed N1 million tuition fee, which was previously suggested, is not feasible given the current state of the country.

The ASUU President warned that if students whose parents cannot afford the fees are forced to withdraw from school, it could lead to societal unrest. He stressed the need for accurate information before determining the next steps in response to the bill.

“A country where more than 133 million are living below the poverty line and you want to introduce tuition fees? It will be counterproductive.
“Every Nigerian should know what is going to happen next and there may likely be another bill waiting for signature that will introduce tuition fees.

“If the bill indicated that the loan is to pay tuition fees and there are no tuition fees in Nigerian universities, then what is your next approach?”

“We have said long ago, in 2017, to President Buhari when they came up with the issue of tuition fees, that every student will pay N1 million and we said you cannot put that in our agreement and you cannot use that to negotiate with us and with the nature of the country we have today, there is no way that will work.

“What will happen is that the majority of students whose parents cannot afford it will pull out of school in anger and you know what that means, they will fight the society back. But let us get the correct information first before knowing the next steps,” he added.