Going to school in today's society is no longer seen as waste of time like it once was years ago . Parents now see ensuring that their children get the best education available as a necessity in order to give them an edge and the ability to grasp opportunities they could never get in this unfair life. In many counties around the world once a child is born, it is almost a certainty that it is going to school which happens the moment the child can at least talk. Nigeria is no different, this child goes through different levels of education starting from primary school all the way up to secondary school where he/she must then prepare for the university after passing either WAEC or NECO examination. The struggle for admission into any tertiary institution of choice but with the right resources the struggle becomes bearable. Unfortunately, with the country calling under the poverty line over 90 percent of Nigerian citizens are not even financially capable and some of them cannot even afford to buy a jamb form. Those who do still have a bigger obstacle in front of them which will determine if they will still be able to go to school or not.
After all the hassle of gaining admission, for the average Nigerian this is just the begining of something even more painful - Funds for life as an undergraduate. A secondary school classmate of mine was lucky enough to gain admission to study Petrochemical engineering in Delta state. We were so happy for him and after everything, he travelled down to the school pay for his acceptance fee, get a lay of the new environment and also see what waits in store for him when he finally chooses to resume fully. A week later after, he came back home with a new conviction. He told us that after going to for just a week, he realized his family cannot afford the entire program and for that he is abandoning his dreams to venture into business instead. I saw the pain in his eyes and till this very day he still can't get past what he gave up because of the financial restraint. His story is a very normal experience in Nigeria, there are countless brilliant youngsters who are forced to end their academic journey become they come from humble homes. This has continued for years until the student loan initiative was introduced by the current president of the country.
I was already in my final year when the policy was implemented and I would be a liar if I said it did not do any good to a lot of students both those who just got admission and others already in the system. The loan covers for the tuition fee and running cost in school which comes in on a monthly basis. Payment for the loan does not kick in until a year after the mandatory NYSC service (just for people who graduated before they clock) has been completed.
After graduation comes another difficult part, how to pay for a loan that has accumulated interests since it was collected. The crazy part is even getting a job that will enable the debtors settle their loan. Now the question is should this loan be paid back by the people who collect them or should there be an increase in taxes so that it can be paid from other people's pockets. But the real problem is why should the system be built in such a way where people have to go to school by loaning the uncertainty of their future. For a country that claims that education is so important shouldn't it build a system where people get to go to school because they earned it instead of what we have now. Yes, the student loan has helped but at what cost. I know a lot of people who are frustrated right because they know once they get a job, there's an invincible hand cutting at their salaries before they get a chance to use it. I just feel like they're should be opportunities for the average Nigerian to go to school without this outrageous backlash. If it involves increasing taxes I don't think that'll be wise because a lot of people are already struggling and won't want to pay for something that does no good to them personally.. I do not have the right answers to give but if anyone does I'll be open to suggestions in the comment section... Thank you.
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