The Ebonyi State University Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticized the Student Loan scheme, deeming its realization and viability unsustainable.
The union is calling for renegotiation of its demands, improved funding for revitalization, university autonomy, and academic freedom across Nigeria’s universities.
During a press conference on Monday in Abakaliki, the state capital, the Chairman of the EBSU-ASUU Chapter, Dr. Ikechuku Igwenyi, highlighted the challenges facing the education system in Nigeria. He stated, “As you all are aware, the education system in Nigeria has been bedeviled by underfunding and successive governments. Consequently, public primary and secondary schools have been destroyed, and their teachers have very low self-esteem as the poorest of public servants in Nigeria, with most of them earning less than $20 per month.”
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Dr. Igwenyi lamented the decline in public education, noting the shift of students from public to private schools due to the poor state of public institutions. “This deplorable and unfortunate situation has encouraged the massive drift of students from public schools to privately owned primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, where people are exploited for ‘quality’ education. Having achieved the destruction of the basic education system, it seems now is the turn of tertiary institutions,” he said.
ASUU has vowed to resist this trend, advocating for renegotiation, improved funding, university autonomy, and academic freedom. Dr. Igwenyi listed several issues plaguing the university system, including non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances, the imposition of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), threats to university autonomy, and the introduction of the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
Discussing the Student Loan scheme, Dr. Igwenyi traced its origins to General Yakubu Gowon’s military regime in 1972, when the Students Loan Board was established to aid students affected by the civil war. However, the scheme faced significant repayment challenges, with over ₦40 million of the ₦46 million loaned out remaining unrecoverable.
The scheme was reintroduced in various forms over the years, most recently with the “Access to Higher Education Act, 2023,” signed by President Bola Tinubu. This act, known as the NELFUND Student Loan, requires students to submit data like their National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) and promises loan forgiveness in the event of the beneficiary’s death.
Dr. Igwenyi emphasized ASUU’s responsibility to inform the public about the loan scheme, expressing disappointment that leaders who benefited from free and subsidized education are now advocating for funding education through individual loans. He argued that education is a public good that should be funded by the government, suggesting that resources allocated to failed enterprises should be redirected to improve public tertiary institutions.
“Remember that the government had through thorough engagements with stakeholders agreed to inject N1.3 trillion as a consequence of the NEEDS Assessment Report of 2012 for turnaround maintenance of tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” he said. “The Federal Government released ₦200 billion in 2013 with a strong promise to release ₦220B annually for five years ending in 2018. Apart from the first tranche released in 2013 by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, not a single complete tranche has been released to date.”
Dr. Igwenyi noted that the 2013 tranche was responsible for many modern structures and facilities in public universities, polytechnics, and colleges. He criticized the Student Loan scheme for including a family income threshold, the initial disbursement ratio between institutions and candidates, and the repayment plan in an economy where jobs are scarce, and businesses face high risks and heavy taxes.
ASUU continues to advocate for better funding and support for Nigeria’s education system, emphasizing the need for sustainable policies that enhance university autonomy and academic freedom.
