Atiku Abubakar Critiques Tinubu's Education Loan Policy

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has publicly criticized President Bola Tinubu's Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), asserting that it creates debt rather than making education affordable. Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, stated that the scheme does not alleviate the financial burden on students but instead increases it.

He argued that the government raised school fees before introducing loans, which he described as "witchcraft economics," where the government creates a problem and then offers a loan as a solution. Shaibu emphasized that the true measure of an education policy's success is whether families can afford to keep their children in school without incurring debt.

He outlined Atiku's alternative plan, which aims to reduce the underlying costs of education and includes provisions for forgiving qualifying student debts, allowing graduates to enter the workforce without repayment obligations. Shaibu concluded that education should empower individuals rather than mortgage their futures.