The Twitter Space, scheduled to hold between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., aims at appraising the appropriateness, workability and sustainability of the law.
A day after signing into law a bill providing interest-free loans to Nigerians willing to acquire tertiary education but unable to afford fees, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with the leadership of various Nigerian student bodies.
In a tweet via the President's Twitter handle- @OfficialABAT, Mr Tinubu described the meeting with the student leaders as invigorating, noting that they welcomed the new law and that his administration's "proactive approach to the fuel subsidy issue was welcome."
This is as PREMIUM TIMES is billed to hold a Twitter Space - an audio conversation via Twitter - a social media platform, on Wednesday, 15 June.
The Twitter Space, part of the newspaper's public engagement efforts on contemporary issues of national interest, has been scheduled to hold between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
About the Act
Mr Tinubu assented to the Access to Higher Education Act (2023), providing legal backing for the Education Loan Fund, which would provide "students with loans to pay tuition in public tertiary institutions."
The bill has previously met stiff opposition from student bodies such as the National Association of Nigerian Students and workers' unions, who described it as an attempt by the government "to wash its hands off the funding of the university."
Tertiary education in Nigeria is primarily subsidised depending on the government's handout to continue running effectively.
For years, the inadequate funding by the government has caused disagreement between workers' unions and the government, resulting in industrial unrest.
Stakeholders have cited the industrial crises across many campuses as reasons for the poor ranking of Nigeria's tertiary institutions globally.
Meeting student leaders
On Tuesday, Mr Tinubu received the representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the National Association of University Students (NAUS), the National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NACES) and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) at the Presidential villa.
"This afternoon, I enjoyed an invigorating meeting with the leadership of a few of the most prominent national student bodies in the country. Representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the National Association of University Students (NAUS), the National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NACES) and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) were in attendance," he wrote.
"Their support of the Access to Higher Education Act as well as this government's proactive approach to the fuel subsidy issue, was most welcome."
The President also said his government will prioritise youth empowerment and social justice through meaningful inclusion in governance.
He also promised affordable access to quality education and the creation of gainful opportunities across all sectors of the economy.
PT Twitter Space
The PREMIUM TIMES' Twitter Space, tagged "PT Space," is a forum to appraise contemporary issues bimonthly.
Apart from using the platform to set an agenda for the government and other relevant stakeholders on pertinent issues, the platform has also enabled Nigerians to address their concerns and resolve issues such as challenges with international passport processes, and National Identity Number (NIN), among others.
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On Wednesday, participants, including the leadership of the students' bodies, workers' unions and rights campaigners such as the National Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Abdssobur Salaam, shall participate as panellists.
To give context to the law as envisioned by its sponsor and immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, his former Special Assistant on Electronic and New Media, Somoye Basit, will join the conversation as a panelist.
The topic of the conversation is: "Workability and Sustainability of Students Loan Scheme in Nigeria."
The session will be moderated by the newspaper's head of the Development Desk, Mojeed Alabi.
Mr Alabi doubles as the chairman of Education Writers' Association of Nigeria (EWAN) - a group of journalists across print, online and broadcast media platforms who report education in the country.
