Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has dismissed as false a viral document claiming it has suspended student loan upkeep payments for the 2025/2026 academic session, describing the notice as a forgery designed to mislead beneficiaries and create unnecessary panic.
In a statement on Saturday, the Fund said the document, which falsely claimed the suspension was due to insufficient Federal Government funding, did not originate from the agency and should be disregarded.
According to NELFUND, the fake announcement was purportedly issued on Friday and falsely carried the name of its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.
The forged statement alleged that upkeep payments for the 2025/2026 academic session had been suspended because government funds for May, June and subsequent months had not been released.
NELFUND, however, said the claims were entirely fabricated, stressing that the student loan programme remains operational and that upkeep payments continue in line with approved processes.
“The document currently circulating online is fake and did not emanate from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,” the agency said, urging students and the public to ignore the misinformation.
The Fund advised beneficiaries experiencing payment-related concerns to contact the agency directly instead of relying on unverified social media posts or unofficial documents.
It also urged students to obtain information only through its verified communication channels, warning that the circulation of fake announcements undermines public confidence in the Federal Government’s student loan initiative.
NELFUND reaffirmed its commitment to providing financial support to eligible Nigerian students and called on members of the public to report similar cases of misinformation.
The Fund said official updates on the student loan upkeep payments would continue to be released through its authorised communication platforms.
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Mirian Gom 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 