Student loan: FG urges polytechnics, others to allow applicants to sit for exams

The Federal Government has urged tertiary institutions to permit students who have applied for the student loan programme to sit for their examinations without any restrictions.

This is even as a committee was set up to streamline the processes of student loans.

The panel is expected to standardize the nomenclature of the charges, a timeline of when the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) would disburse institutional loans, and when universities and other institutions would announce disbursements.

Briefing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday after meeting with NELFUND, Vice-Chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions accused of misappropriating student loan disbursements, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the panel has three weeks to submit its report.

He dismissed as untrue allegations by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) that N71.2 billion was missing from the Fund.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad; Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and heads of beneficiary tertiary institutions.