The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on President Bola Tinubu to convert the recently assented Students Loans Act into a grant for indigent students.
Speaking during a tevised interview, ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, said that the stringent requirements for accessing and repaying the loan would prevent more than 90% of students from benefiting.
He argued that if the funds are coming from the Federation Account, it would be more appropriate to classify them as grants rather than loans.
“The loan system is impractical and not sustainable,” Osodeke said. “It is also unfair to burden students with debt when they are just starting out their lives.”
ASUU’s call to convert the student loan into a grant was supported by over 100 student unions across Nigeria.
On his part, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Oluwafemi Ogundele, said, “This is the only way to ensure that all students have access to quality education.”
“We are calling on President Tinubu to listen to the voices of students and convert the student loan into a grant,”
The unions argued that the loan system would only serve to further disadvantage students from low-income backgrounds.
