From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Federal Government has hinted that it’s considering full autonomy for universities including financial autonomy, because the financial burden of universities is becoming much on it.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejoh, told journalists in Abuja, on Wednesday, that the decision was not arising from the recently signed Students’Loan Act, but out of the desire of the Federal Government to improve access to quality and affordable education.
He said: “The issue of introduction of tuition fee is not arising for the Act. Whether we like it or not, the government can no longer foot the bill of public universities alone, and that was why we are having public and private partnerships in many of the engagements.
“For now, the Universities enjoy some level of autonomy, except financial autonomy. But answers to the issue of financial autonomy will be provided soon, and that will be when the institutions would be at liberty to decide on tuition fee.”
Providing details on the recently signed Students’Loan, the Permanent Secretary, explained that the content and working conditions of the document will be made available to Nigerians soon.
He said: “So far, only three persons, namely, the President, his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; and myself, have had access to the signed Students’Loan documents. So, the misinformation and disinformation about the document is expected.
“What’s being circulated is the bill that was passed by the House of Representatives and not the signed Act. Work is ongoing to fine-tune the documents. It will be gazetted soon by the Ministry of Justice, and operational manual will be release soon with full details of the scheme.
“However, inter-ministerial committee has been constituted to fine-tune the documents. The committee is expected to study the existing and past loan schemes, pick out the faults and gains, build on them and proffer superior solutions so the new scheme can succeed. It’s no longer business as usual regarding the loans. In the past schemes, the number of defaulter were higher than the number of people that repaid the loans.
“Unarguably, the Act was designed to addresses the issue of repayment. Not only for public schools students alone. Students in private schools are also eligible to benefit. The President has directed that work should be fastened, and possibly completed in four to six weeks, so that first batch of beneficiaries can be enrolled by September for 2023/2024 academic year.”
The Permanent Secretary further explained that the committee is expected to work out modalities for the implementation of the project, including the possible establishment of a bank outside the existing banks that would implement the project.
“There is a proposal for a new bank to be established to carry out the project. But the committee might decide otherwise after deliberation. But based on the Act, recommendation was made for establishment of bank to handle the project.”