President Bola Tinubu says there is no going back on the student loan scheme initiated by his administration. He said the federal government would not compromise the standards in the nation’s education.
The president said the scheme was approved in June 2023 as a way to make accessibility to quality education incontestable.
Tinubu, who was represented by deputy Senate president Barau Jibrin, spoke at the 8th convocation of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State where a total 6,563 graduands were awarded with various degrees of the university.
This is just as Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji called on universities to come up with researches that will proffer solutions to the challenges the country is facing.
The university’s honorary degrees were conferred on Senate leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele doctor of public law (honoris causa, the chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation/Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola, doctor of accounting (honoris causa) and Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, doctor of political science (honoris causa).
Tinubu said one of the cardinal programmes of the APC-led government is the promotion of education, particularly tertiary education.
“There is a bill for access to tertiary education which is for student loan schemes. A lot of funds are being allocated to education from basic to tertiary level. Federal government is poised to promote education to the desired level.”
In his address, Governor Oyebanji stated that the state government will continue to collaborate with this university and called on the alumni to always come back to give back to their alma mater.
“Universities must put a lot of emphasis on research. You must produce solution providers, people that will help to solve the problems of this country,” he said.
Advising the graduating students, the governor added, “I plead with you to try to combine the education of the head with that of the hand. Whatever skills you are good at, don’t let it die, you should apply your education to make the best out of it.”