The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, has said that the student loan scheme aims at providing access to interest-free opportunity for youths throughout their educational pursuits in tertiary institutions.
According to the Minister, this was part of the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Tinubu.
He added that the scheme would reduce the amount of school dropouts due to financial constraints, insisting that young people deserve an enabling environment to function.
“If the president said a child will not drop out of school because he or she is not able to pay school fees, I think that is a very big plus for the ministry.” He said.
The minister explained that the scheme was available to all, disregarding all presumptions of corruption in the initiative.
““You don’t need to know anybody; just go and apply.
“They will put it together; send it to the school and it will be sorted out so that one can study properly and pass the exam.
China, India, U.S. and others are successful because of the skills the citizens have.
“The government is not saying that everything must be university, polytechnic tertiary institution, it must also go to the technical schools so that the person can have one or two skills.
“Most of the foreigners they bring to Nigeria to come and work which we call graduates are not graduates; they are technicians,” he said.
The student loan scheme was assented to by President Tinubu in June 2023.
saharandaily