Abuja Correspondent| The Merit
Abuja, Nigeria — The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action against banks and higher institutions allegedly involved in the mismanagement and diversion of student loan funds.
During a peaceful protest on Monday, students marched through major streets of the Federal Capital Territory bearing banners with inscriptions demanding accountability and transparency in the disbursement of student loans. The protest was led by the NANS National Vice President for Inter Campus and Gender Affairs.
Addressing journalists, the NANS official decried the reports of corruption and administrative bottlenecks hindering students from accessing the loan scheme intended to alleviate the financial burden of tertiary education.
“We are calling on President Tinubu to set up a functional monitoring system to ensure that the funds meant for the student loans reach the rightful beneficiaries without delay or manipulation,” the Vice President stated.
NANS outlined four major demands:
1. That President Tinubu initiate a transparent monitoring framework to track the loan disbursement process.
2. That any higher institution found guilty of tampering with student loan funds be decisively sanctioned.
3. That anti-graft agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, arrest and prosecute corrupt institutional officials.
4. That banks conniving with officials to short-change students face adequate sanctions.
The students emphasized that any attempt to frustrate the Federal Government’s efforts to provide financial relief through the loan scheme would be met with continuous resistance from the student body.
NANS reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that no Nigerian student is denied the opportunity to complete their education due to financial hardship caused by systemic corruption.
