The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says the pilot phase of the student loan scheme will only be open to federal tertiary institutions.

President Bola Tinubu enacted an initial version of the student loan policy in June 2023 to grant interest-free loans to students.

The scheme was to commence in October 2023 but implementation was repeatedly deferred until a re-enactment in April 2024.

NELFUND recently scheduled the opening of the loan application and issuance portal for May 24.

The managing director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyerr, says students in federal tertiary institutions would first be considered in the rollout of the scheme.

On April 3, President Bola Tinubu signed the student loan re-enactment bill into law, months after the first enactment was criticised for its stringent requirements.

The student loan portal has been scheduled to be operational on May 24.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday at a press conference, Sawyerr, said students of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education whose data has been uploaded by their institutions can begin to apply on May 24.

“This student loan scheme is available to students who are in government institutions at the tertiary level,” he said.

“It’s generally for those who are attending or have placements at universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, and colleges of education that belong to the government.

“To begin with, we’re going to start with federal institutions because it’s a programme that we have to roll out in phases.

“It will eventually be rolled out to state-owned institutions, and as you will discover, we will also begin a programme on loan provision for those who want to acquire vocational skills of vocational qualifications.”

Sawyerr noted that the fees being paid through the loan would be sent directly to the institution and not the student.

He added that it would be paid per session and not all at once.

“We’ll pay a session at a time because people drop out of institutions, they change institutions, and they change their minds about the courses they want to do. So we will limit our risk by just paying for that one session,” he said.

“We will also make a monthly payment to the individual who’s studying because there’s a recognition that just paying the fee alone may not be sufficient

.

“That figure for this will be capped, and we will look very closely at each application and then make a decision based on a number of factors.”

A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed another bail application filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Binta Nyako, presiding judge, also refused Kanu’s plea to be transferred from the custody of the Department of States Services (DSS) to prison.

The defendant’s request to be placed under house arrest was also rejected.

Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on treasonable felony as preferred against him by the federal government.

BACKGROUND

In 2017, the court granted Kanu bail on the treasonable felony charges filed against him by the federal government.

However, the court revoked Kanu’s bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to present himself as required.

The IPOB leader was rearrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria — after being on the run for a few years.

In April 2022, Nyako struck out eight of the 15 counts in the charge.

The remaining seven counts were also quashed by the court of appeal on October 13, 2022, with the judge ordering Kanu’s release.

However, on October 28, 2022, the court of appeal granted a stay of execution on its verdict discharging Kanu, after the federal government filed an appeal at the supreme court.

On December 15, 2023, a five-member panel of the apex court reversed the verdict of the appeal court and ordered Kanu to resume his trial before the federal high court.

BAIL APPLICATION

In the fresh bail application, Kanu asked the court to restore his bail which was revoked in 2017.

In the alternative, he asked to be removed from the custody of the DSS and placed under house arrest, or to be remanded in prison.

The defendant said contrary to the federal government’s claim, he did not jump bail or breach any of the conditions of the 2017 bail, but had to flee the country when soldiers allegedly invaded his house in Abia.

He told the court that he would have been killed if he had not escaped the way he did, and accused the federal government of misleading the court in getting the bail revoked.

He also asked the court to set aside the arrest warrant issued against him by the court while he was out of the country.

He also alleged that he does not get proper medical services in DSS custody and he is unable to properly prepare for his defence due to restricted access to his lawyers.

Delivering the ruling, Nyako refused the application of the defendant.

She noted that those who stood surety for the defendant in 2017 had approached the court and applied to be discharged after Kanu escaped from the country.

She held that the sureties, in their applications, claimed that they were not aware of the whereabouts of the defendant, a scenario that forced the court to order the forfeiture of their N100 million bail bonds.

According to the trial court, the issue is currently pending before the court of appeal.

The court held that having refused Kanu’s request for bail on several occasions, the only option available to him was to take the matter before the appellate court.

However, the judge ordered the DSS to always grant Kanu access to his lawyers not exceeding five persons on every visiting day.

It ordered that Kanu must be given “a clean place” to consult with his lawyers at the DSS detention facility, adding that he must be granted access to a doctor of his choice.

Nyako warned that any attempt by Kanu’s legal team to file similar applications before the court would be regarded as a gross abuse of the judicial process.

“You have an option of appeal, please exercise your right of appeal,” the trial judge added.