The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s proposal to restrict student loan access to courses deemed “high demand” or “practical” for national development. The organization labeled the policy as discriminatory, a dangerous step toward the commercialization of public education, and a betrayal of the mandate to provide equitable access to higher education for all Nigerians.
In a scathing statement signed by CAPPA’s Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, the group expressed outrage over comments made by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Akintunde Sawyer, during a virtual Student Loan Masterclass hosted by The Renewed Hope Global.
Sawyer revealed plans to prioritize student loans for disciplines such as engineering, medicine, and information technology—fields regarded as economically viable and exportable—while sidelining courses like language studies and other humanities. This proposal has drawn the ire of CAPPA, which described it as an attempt to marginalize students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, further entrenching systemic inequalities in education.
“Discriminatory and Short-Sighted,” Says CAPPA
CAPPA argued that the proposed policy undermines the diversity of academic disciplines that are critical for fostering innovation, critical thinking, and holistic national development. The group described the policy as “short-sighted and counterproductive,” warning that it could stifle intellectual diversity and exacerbate existing inequalities in Nigeria’s education system.
“This unfair attempt to narrow the policy’s beneficiaries comes at a time when tuition fees for so-called ‘marketable’ courses have skyrocketed from ₦19,000 to over ₦200,000 in public institutions, effectively pricing poor students out of education or forcing them into exploitative survival strategies,” the statement read.
High Costs, Low Opportunities
CAPPA also questioned the rationale behind the policy, pointing out that even graduates in the supposedly “practical” fields face dismal job prospects in Nigeria. The organization noted that the country’s unemployment rate remains alarmingly high, with many professionals—including engineers and medical doctors—joining the mass exodus of Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad in what is now popularly referred to as the “Japa Syndrome.”
“If graduates from these ‘economically viable’ fields are struggling to find jobs in the current market, what is the justification for sidelining other disciplines? The state’s inability to create jobs or maintain an economy that supports diverse intellectual dreams cannot be blamed on students. It is unfair and unjust to make them pay for the failures of the system,” CAPPA stated.
A Threat to Intellectual Diversity
Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Senior Programme Manager for Research and Policy, added that tethering education to perceived economic value undermines the foundational principles of learning and intellectual diversity.
“By reducing education to a commodity that must be sold on the open market, we risk stifling creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. Every discipline, whether engineering or the arts, plays a vital role in national development. This narrow focus on practicality will only deepen the divide between the privileged and the underprivileged,” Ibeh warned.
CAPPA drew parallels to past regressive policies, such as the removal of history from Nigeria’s secondary school curriculum in 2009, which deprived a generation of students of the opportunity to understand their heritage. The group argued that the proposed changes could have similar long-term consequences, including devaluing the teaching profession, reducing teacher morale, and worsening the brain drain in academia.
A Crisis of Funding
Highlighting the chronic underfunding of Nigeria’s education sector, CAPPA criticized the federal government’s proposed ₦3.52 trillion allocation for education in the 2025 budget, which represents only 7.3% of the total budget—far below the globally recommended 15-20%.
The group argued that instead of restricting access to loans, the government should prioritize increasing its investment in education, improving infrastructure, and funding vocational training programs to create a conducive environment for learning and innovation.
Call for Action
CAPPA’s statement ended with a call to action, urging Nigerian students, academics, labor unions, and civil society organizations to reject the proposed policy. The organization demanded that the government and NELFUND rethink their approach and adopt a more inclusive and equitable strategy that recognizes the value of every discipline in driving national progress.
“This divisive approach risks leaving Nigerian students further behind in a world that requires diverse skills and perspectives. What Nigeria needs is a bold and inclusive education policy that uplifts every student, not one that excludes and marginalizes,” CAPPA concluded.
The organization also made recommendations to address the challenges in the education sector, including increasing budgetary allocations, investing in teacher training, and developing public infrastructure such as electricity and transportation to support both students and educators.
Public Backlash Builds
The proposed student loan policy has sparked widespread criticism from various quarters, with many Nigerians accusing the government of prioritizing profit over people. CAPPA’s statement has amplified these concerns, making it clear that the battle for equitable access to education in Nigeria is far from over.
As debates over the policy continue, stakeholders are watching to see whether the government will heed CAPPA’s warnings or proceed with a plan that many believe could deepen the crisis in Nigeria’s education sector.