Education
STUDENTS’ LOAN: ASUU, ASUP SAY NO TO TUITION FEE HIKE
Lecturers in the nation’s universities and polytechnics have warned the Federal Government not to toy with the idea of increasing tuition fees by hiding under the guise that it has set up a Students’ Loan Scheme through which students can source for money to finance their education.
This is just as the lecturers expressed doubt about the workability of the scheme given the condition that the beneficiaries should start to repay two years after completing the National Youth Service Scheme, NYSC, in the face of the difficulties by graduates in securing jobs after graduation.
Defaulting in the repayment of the loan or aiding to default attracts a fine of N500,000 or two years imprisonment or both. The scheme starts in September, this year, according to the Federal Government, yesterday.
No to hike in fees
Speaking on the workability of the law, especially given the high unemployment rate in Nigeria, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, said the foundation for the scheme to fail has been laid already. They opined that when repayment becomes impossible, the fund would simply dry up.
The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, noted, “It is a subtle hike in tuition fees in tertiary institutions. If a student says he cannot afford the fee, he would be asked to go and take the loan. We are not talking about how the children of the poor will be able to access it. We know that in Nigeria, things meant for the masses are always hijacked by the rich. After graduation, the children of the rich will get jobs and those of the poor, who may benefit from the scheme, will have no job from which to repay. We are not in support of any move to hike fees.
The fear of government introducing tuition fee is being expressed in various circles, government should not do that at all. They should rather bring down the fees, as parents are groaning under harsh economic condition already.”
For the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, it is one of the ways of solving the problems in the sector. “For us and from the little we can read on the pages of newspapers, it is a positive development that would grant equal opportunity to students to access higher education.
However, CONUA sees this as one of the ways of solving the problem of funding as well as one of the best international practices. All stakeholders have duties of monitoring to ensure credibility in implementation. By all stakeholders, I mean all certified tertiary institutions unions, parents, students, tertiary institutions, etc.
Hike in service charges
Meanwhile, many tertiary institutions in the country have hiked service charges such as Acceptance Fee, Hostel Fee among others. Investigation by our correspondent has shown.
For instance, at the University of Ibadan, UI, the Acceptance Fee has been jerked up from N37,000 to N50,000. The same at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, where the fee has been raised to N50,000 from N20,000. While new students are to pay N108,000 up from about N50,000.
At the University of Maiduguri, new students are to pay N252, 000, instead of N131,500. The University of Uyo is asking students to pay N107,750. Even at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, students who are not staying in the hostels even have Hostel Fee to pay, it has been increased from N5,000 to N15,000.
Facts about the scheme
Students who want to enjoy the benefit must apply to the Chairman of the Education Bank through their respective institutions upon satisfaction of the following conditions:
(i) Student must have secured admission into any public Nigerian University,Polytechnic, COE or TVET school.
Applicant income or family income must be less than N500,000 per annum.
Applicant must provide at least two civil servants as guarantors: of not less than 12 years in service; or a lawyer with at least 10 years post-call experience; a judicial officer; or a Justice of Peace.
Students who have defaulted in previous loans; found guilty of exam malpractices, felony, drug offenses will not be considered.
Students with parents who have defaulted in respect of previous loans will not be considered. All Applications will be submitted through the Students Affairs Office of each Institution via a list of all qualified applicants from the institution accompanied by a cover letter signed by the Vice Chancellor or Rector or the head of the institution and the student affairs.
Disbursement of loans: The new Act establishes the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. The fund will shall be domiciled with, managed and administered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the money deposit banks in Nigeria for the purpose set out under section 6 of this Act.The governor of the CBN shall set up a special committee to perform the functions of the fund set out under Section 6 of this Act. The chairman of the committee shall be the governor of the CBN who shall appoint the secretary of the committee. Also, the applicant’s application and disbursements are made within 30 days of the application reaching the chairman of the committee.
Academic records of beneficiaries are to be monitored through the student affairs office of each institution via a list of all qualified applicants from the institution, accompanied by a cover letter signed by the vice-chancellor, rector, or the head of the institution and the student affairs.
Loan repayment method: According to the law, the employers of successful applicants must deduct the loan from their salaries after they must have completed their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
Meanwhile, Nigerians studying abroad, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in the Diaspora, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to make it easy for them to get Form M through which they get foreign exchange to pay their school fees.
The students made this known in a statement by the President, Comrade Abdulrazak Abubakar, made available to our correspondent on Wednesday. “The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Diaspora led by Comrade Abdulrazak Abubakar is deeply appreciating Mr. President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his commitment towards the Nigerian Students Community. The signing of the student loan bill marks the beginning of a new dawn for Nigerian students.
Mr. President, the Nigerian students in the Diaspora hope that the new educational system would also cover the Nigerian students in the Diaspora because, in the real sense, the Nigerian Students in Diaspora are not living in paradise. For instance, one of the challenges that we are confronted with is the challenge of tuition funds remittance through Form A.”
Meanwhile, the federal government on Wednesday said it had begun putting all necessary measures in place to ensure students loan begin between September and October, 2023.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew David Adejo, who revealed this while speaking to newsmen in Abuja, said already President Bola Tinubu has approved a committee made up of ministries and agencies to see to the realization of the scheme
Adejo said “The bill is to make sure that every Nigerian has access to higher education through what we called the Higher Education Nigerian Bank.
Learning from past mistakes, the bank is not going to be the type that will sit down and be collecting application loans, it will also perform normal banking functions and make sure loans are given because we had cases of loan recovery in the past.
“The Act as it is tells us the process, but as I speak with you today, the President has approved the committee made up of ministries and agencies and their meeting will be coming up 20th of June.
The president has also directed that by September to October this 2023/2024 academic session, he wants to see recipients of these loans. So it is a very serious march for us so between now and then we have to phantom the process for people to get the loan,” he added.
Form A is a medium through which foreign students access foreign exchange at the official rate rather than sourcing extra finances in other to get the same from the parallel market on order to settle all their academic bills and expenses. The unbearable hiccups, therefore, remain the challenge of responsiveness and delay from the Nigerian banks in remitting the funds to the students’ respective institutions and accounts.
It is in view of this, we join forces with our sister association in Nigeria NANS to suggest that the government solves the Form A issues as a viable solution to the challenge of funds remittance to the students’ international accounts and institutions. With this stride, our hope is renewed that we have a government that really cares for Nigerian students,” the statement read.
Education
1ST NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE ON UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ESSAY COMPETITION
Competition Overview:
The SDG Youth Essay Competition offers a grand prize of N1 million for the top three winners, along with free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– Open exclusively to undergraduates in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
2. Entry Guidelines:
– Topic:The Role of Students in Attainment of SDG4
– length: Essays should be 1500 words.
– Entry Period: Thursday, February 1, 2024 – Thursday, February 29, 2024
– Referencing: APA Style (6th Edition).
– Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.
– Documentation: Typed in 1.5 line spacing, MS Word format only.
– Plagiarism: Only original content is accepted; plagiarized entries will be disqualified.
Benefits:
– Prizes:
– 1st Prize: N500,000
– 2nd Prize: N300,000
– 3rd Prize: N200,000
– Winners will also receive free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Required Documents:
– Student’s Institution ID Card
– Copy of Student’s Admission Letter
– One recent passport-size photograph
– WhatsApp telephone number and email address
Application Procedure:
– All entries and submissions (essay and required documents) should be scanned and sent to nigeriaessay@sdgyouth.org before the deadline.
For Further Inquiries:
– Call: 08068931151, 08133846739, 07067772964
– Email: nigeriaessay@sdgyouth.org
Deadline: February 29th, 2024
Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to achieving SDG4 and win exciting prizes. Submit your entry and required documents before the deadline. For any inquiries, feel free to contact them via phone or email.
Competition Overview:
The National Essay Competition invites undergraduate law students to showcase their expertise and contribute to the discourse on AI, privacy, and data protection. In addition to cash prizes, participants have the chance to intern with Pentagon Partners, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– The competition is open to 400-level and 500-level undergraduate law students in Nigerian universities.
2. Essay Requirements:
– Length: Essays should not exceed 1500 words.
– Format: Double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font.
– References: OSCOLA format for citations with 10pt font size for footnotes and endnotes.
– Submission Format: Essays must be submitted in PDF format.
– Entrant Details: Include full names, school, level, phone number, and email address in both the body of the email and on the last page of the essay.
– Single Entry: Each entrant is allowed only one submission.
– Originality: Plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.
Competition Benefits and Timeline:
1. Prizes:
– Winner: N200,000
– 1st Runner Up: N150,000
– 2nd Runner Up: N100,000
2. Internship Opportunity:
– In addition to cash prizes, winners have the exclusive opportunity to intern with Pentagon Partners, enhancing their career prospects.
Application Procedure:
– Interested participants should submit their essays to essay@pentagonpartnerslp.com during the submission period.
– The subject of the email should be the Essay topic
For additional information and updates, visit www.pentagonpartnerslp.com.
Deadline: March 22nd, 2024
Don’t miss this chance to showcase your legal expertise, contribute to important discussions on AI and law, and vie for enticing cash prizes. Pentagon Partners looks forward to receiving your submissions.
Purpose:
Inaugurated in 2020, the CDEC is part of SystemSpecs’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to promoting capacity development in the Nigerian ICT industry. By encouraging young Nigerians to tackle everyday issues, the competition contributes to intellectual growth and societal progress.
Topic:
The theme for the 2024 competition is “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology.” Participants are tasked with exploring strategies to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world.
Eligibility:
– Open to primary and secondary school students in Nigeria aged 9 to 16.
– Junior category (ages 9 to 12) essays must not exceed 1,000 words.
– Senior category (ages 13 to 16) essays must not exceed 1,500 words.
Prizes:
– Winners will receive generous rewards, including a high-capacity laptop, premium headphones, a portable laptop stand, a smart wristwatch, and one year of internet data, among other items.
– Consolation prizes will be awarded to other participants.
Application Process:
– Interested candidates should access the application page
– Essays must be written in English and reflect original thought.
– Each participant is limited to one entry.
– Entries must be endorsed by an accredited school official, parent, or legal guardian.
– Deadline for submissions is April 12, 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
– All submissions must be in PDF format and include the student’s name, home and school addresses, email address, and contact phone number.
– Double entries will result in automatic disqualification.
– Submissions must be received by March 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
Notification of Winners:
– Successful students and schools will be contacted in the second quarter of the year.
– Updates on winners will be announced on @nercng social media platforms.
The SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition offers a unique opportunity for Nigerian students to demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving skills. By addressing the theme of online child protection, participants contribute to building a safer and more secure digital environment for all. We encourage eligible students to seize this opportunity and showcase their talent and ingenuity.
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