Atiku Vows NELFUND Overhaul, Debt Forgiveness For Students In Sharp Rebuttal To Tinubu

In a major policy intervention targeting Nigeria's higher education crisis, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to overhaul the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and institute a debt forgiveness framework for qualifying Nigerian students if elected. The proposal comes as public tertiary institutions across the country grapple with unprecedented tuition hikes and escalating cost-of-living pressures on students.

Atiku’s position was articulated in a detailed statement issued on Tuesday evening by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. According to the campaign organization, young Nigerians should not be burdened with heavy financial liabilities at the onset of their professional careers, arguing that systemic reform must prioritize genuine affordability over accumulated indebtedness.

"His approach will reduce the underlying cost of education and, after review, provide forgiveness for qualifying student debts so that young Nigerians can graduate with hope rather than repayment burdens," Shaibu stated. He stressed that access to university and polytechnic education ought to open doors for social mobility rather than mortgage the financial futures of young citizens.

The statement was issued in direct response to recent public comments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who defended his administration’s economic adjustments on social media while highlighting NELFUND as a monumental social safety intervention for Nigerian youth.