Henry Okuomo, the Senate President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has called on the Nigerian government to focus on reducing the high cost of education rather than providing student loans. In a recent interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Okuomo argued that lowering tuition fees to between N20,000 and N50,000 would make education more accessible, particularly given the current high unemployment rates which make loan repayment difficult.
Okuomo expressed concerns about the existing student loan scheme, introduced by President Bola Tinubu as part of his education reform agenda. He highlighted issues with the loan’s accessibility and questioned its effectiveness, especially given the lack of clarity about who qualifies and how repayments will be managed. He emphasized that reducing educational costs would be a more practical solution to the challenges faced by Nigerian students.