In a bid to mitigate the economic pain associated with the removal of fuel subsidy, President Bola Tinubu has approved provision of buses to the students’ bodies of all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
This was announced in a statement by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications & Strategy.
He said the decision was taken following the desire of the President to see that students can access their campuses without much difficulty as a result of higher transportation costs.
Tinubu also directed the removal of bottlenecks on the students’ loan so as to make it available to any student or household that may be in need of it.
“The provision of the buses will also remove the burden of additional cost of daily commuting on parents and guardians.
“In line with his promise to ensure no Nigerian student abandons his or her educational pursuits as a result of lack of money and economic circumstances of their parents, President Tinubu also approved the removal of all restrictions on the students’ loan to make it available to any student or household that may desire it.
“Similarly, the President has directed the authorities in all Federal Institutions of higher learning to avoid arbitrary increase in sundry fees payable and where possible defer further increase so that parents and students don’t face too many difficulties.
“While it is important to reiterate that President Tinubu has directed release of over 200,000 Metric Tonnes of grains to families in 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the government is working to ensure that vulnerable students can also benefit from conditional cash transfers and food distribution.
“The Federal Government salutes the courage, wisdom and partnership of Nigerian Students as our country navigates this challenging time.
President Tinubu according to Alake will continue to prioritise education and the needs of the students, improve welfare of teaching and non-academic staff and invest in infrastructure to make our institutions of higher learning become more globally competitive.