A former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has urged the Federal Government to treat education as a fundamental right and not burden students with loans.
Shittu spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, monitored by DAILY POST in Abeokuta.
The former minister said government policies should focus on creating opportunities for children from poor homes, stressing that access to education must be considered alongside employment, healthcare and general welfare of citizens.
He questioned the rationale behind student loans at a time many graduates are jobless years after leaving tertiary institutions.
“Today, we have in this country graduates who graduated ten years ago and are still looking for jobs. They don’t have jobs and they are talking about giving them loans. I don’t believe in loans. I believe in fundamental rights,” he said.
Shittu challenged Nigerians to examine the education objectives in the 1999 Constitution, arguing that government has a responsibility to promote access to education and create conditions for citizens to develop their potential.
“I challenge everyone to go and look at the education objectives in the Constitution of Nigeria, the 1999 Constitution,” he stated.
He said raising children should reflect communal values rather than being left entirely to individual families.
“In our local community, a child born into a community is the responsibility of the entire community to train, to educate and to provide for,” he added.
According to him, the issue is about government priorities and management of resources, noting that previous governments invested in free education, healthcare and other social services.
Shittu said Nigeria has the resources to improve access to education, citing Rwanda as an example of a country that has invested heavily in human development.
He expressed concern over economic hardship, saying he receives messages from students who struggle to afford basic needs, including food.
The former minister said government policies should be judged by their impact on ordinary Nigerians, especially poor families, and called for stronger implementation of constitutional provisions on education.
He noted that investing in education would reduce future social problems by equipping young Nigerians with skills to contribute meaningfully to society.
Education is a right, don’t burden students with loans – Ex-minister tells FG