Include private varsity students in students’ loan, VC urges FG

The Vice Chancellor of KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof. Adeniyi Olatunbosun, on Monday, pleaded with the Federal Government to include private university students as beneficiaries in its student loan scheme.

President Bola Tinubu had announced that the government would commence the disbursement of student loans by January, 2024 with interest-free for Nigerians willing to acquire tertiary education.

Olatunbosun, who addressed a press conference at the Senate Chamber of the institution in Ibadan, as part of activities marking the 3rd Convocation of the institution, said the loan should not be restricted to the federal government-owned universities alone, to give such opportunity to many students who are determined to acquire tertiary education but are constrained with fund.

He insisted that education should be for all, hence, the need for the government to extend the scheme to Federal, State and private universities across the country.

“Education is for all. There should not be any demarcation between the Federal, state and private university systems because we are all providing services to the generality of Nigerians. In our universities, we have special arrangements for our students. We have Micro Finance Bank partnering with us to provide loans for parents who wish to access it for payment of school fees for their children in our institution.

“So, this is another way to meet the needs of parents to be able to meet with obligations of their children without hindrance by this current economic hardship. This will also complement what the government is putting in place. We also have some donors who give scholarships to indigent students in the institution,” he stressed.

He, however, announced that the National Universities Commission had approved for the accreditation of more five courses which include Nursing, Laboratory Science, Public Health Science, Human Physiology and Human Anatomy.
Olatunbosun said on the convocation ceremony, the event included the award of excellence to students who made the best results in the institution, while former Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie will deliver the lecture, titled, “Nigeria Education System at the Cross Road.”