By Christiana Ekpa
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has said that the decision by the parliament to amend the access to Higher Education Act 2023 is to ultimately give an opportunity to every Nigerian child to acquire a university education regardless of economic circumstances of the individual involved.
A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Levinus Nwabughiogu stated that Kalu gave the explanation while delivering a keynote address at an event to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Madonna University, Elele, River State and the Centenary Celebration of the International Federation of Catholic Universities themed “Catholic University: An Educational Project to Respond to the Academic, Human, Spiritual, Political, and Social Challenges of our World” on Wednesday.
Reflecting on the theme, the deputy speaker said that Nigeria cannot ignore the pressing challenges facing young people, particularly regarding access to quality education.
He said: “In Nigeria, we are acutely aware of the challenges that young people face regarding access to quality education.
As a parliament, the National Assembly has recognized the urgency of addressing these challenges and has taken proactive steps to expand access to higher education. Initiatives such as establishing the Tertiary
Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) for infrastructure development and scholarship provision have been instrumental in improving educationalfacilities and supporting deserving students.
“Moreover, the ongoing efforts to amend the Access to Higher Education Act 2023 which is currently going through a third reading today in the House of Representativesunderscores our commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child,regardless of economic circumstances, has the opportunity to pursue auniversity education.
