Trending 
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has dismissed as fake an image circulating online claiming that President Bola Tinubu has ordered life imprisonment for students who fail to repay their education loans after graduation.
NELFUND debunked the news in a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, sharing the purported newspaper front page that carried the claim.
Fake news#NELFUNDstudentLoan pic.twitter.com/WR0pAV0Lta
— NELFUND (@NELFUND) September 6, 2026
The doctored image appeared to be the front page of The Daily Tribune, dated Thursday, May 27, 2027, with a headline stating, “Tinubu: All students who fail to repay their loan after graduation will go to jail for life.”
NELFUND placed a prominent red “FAKE” stamp across the image, rejecting the purported announcement.
The Fund has previously issued clarifications over fabricated circulars and notices concerning its student loan programme, including false claims about the suspension of upkeep payments and allegations that beneficiaries must begin repaying their loans while still in school or shortly after graduation.
NELFUND was established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, which was signed into law by President Tinubu and re-enacted in 2024.
The agency provides interest-free loans to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions to cover institutional fees and monthly upkeep allowances.
Under the law governing the scheme, repayment begins two years after a beneficiary completes the National Youth Service Corps programme or receives an exemption, and only if the beneficiary is gainfully employed.
Repayments are capped at 10 per cent of a beneficiary’s gross income or salary each month, with employers deducting the amount at source where applicable. Self-employed beneficiaries are required to remit a similar share of their income.
Beneficiaries who remain unemployed after the two-year period may apply for extensions by submitting a sworn statement.
