The Senator representing Plateau Central in the National Assembly, Diket Plang, has commended President Bola Tinubu for signing the Student Loans (Assessment to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024, into law.
Plang who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, equally lauded the efforts of the National Assembly for being diligent and patriotic in passing the bill.
He said students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria can now heave a sigh of relief in their quest for tertiary education.
The Senator, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Jos, described the bill as a progressive bill for Nigerians and Nigeria.
He added that the law will ensure that talented Nigerian students are not left behind in accessing higher education and training due to a lack of funds.
According to him, “The signing of the bill will also revolutionize education, promote access to higher education, and provide crucial financial support to Nigerian students, especially the indigents.”
“The bill will also dismantle financial barriers that often prevent those from poor homes from accessing tertiary education.”
He added that the signing of the bill into law of the bull will afford indigent students the opportunity to access interest-free loans for their academic pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.
The senator urged Nigerians, especially students and parents, to take advantage of the loan to ensure that the nation does not have dropouts which will in turn reduce criminality when students don’t resort to crime due to frustration.
“It will go a long way toward improving the quality of higher education in Nigeria and stabilising tertiary institutions. Managers of the bill should ensure that funds appropriated for this purpose are adequately managed,” he advised.
