Last Tuesday, a spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar issued a statement criticizing the NELFUND initiative, alongside a pledge to forgive debts imposed on students under the guise of financial support.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, criticized the NELFUND student loan scheme introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following the nationwide removal of education subsidies. Atiku stated that a loan is not educational support, but a debt that students are expected to repay later.
Speaking through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku declared that if elected president in 2027, he pledges to reduce the cost of education and forgive the debts of eligible students after conducting a comprehensive review of the system.
Atiku accused President Bola Tinubu's administration of driving up the cost of education while creating a loan mechanism to help students cope with the inflated expenses.
He further challenged the Tinubu administration, demanding that the government release financial figures showing how proposed fuel price reduction plans would affect the NELFUND scheme and workers' salaries or the minimum wage.
Atiku added that his goal is to lower the cost of living by reducing energy and transportation expenses, emphasizing that education should not begin by burdening young people with a mountain of debt.