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

Pushing back against the Presidency’s narrative, Shaibu strongly rejected the assertion that NELFUND serves as proof of accessible education under the current administration. He characterized the government's approach as fundamentally flawed, alleging that federal policies allowed steep fee increases across federal universities before presenting loan schemes as a palliative solution.

"Celebrating NELFUND as proof that education has become affordable under your government is like setting school fees on fire and then boasting that you lent students a bucket of water," Shaibu argued. He described the tactic as "witchcraft economics," where financial strain is created with one hand and high-interest debt instruments are extended with the other to generate political goodwill.

Addressing allegations from presidential aides that Atiku's proposed energy subsidy reforms would starve NELFUND or erode national minimum wage payments, the campaign demanded full budgetary transparency. Shaibu challenged the administration to publish line-by-line figures demonstrating how crude oil refining subsidies and targeted energy relief would negatively affect public sector wages or student financing.

The strategic imperative, according to Atiku's team, relies on lowering systemic living costs—specifically energy and transportation—so household incomes stretch further. Education policy experts note that the debate highlights a crucial divide in Nigerian governance: choosing between market-driven student loan frameworks and direct state funding aimed at suppressing baseline tuition costs for tertiary institutions.