The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says recent claims that President Bola Tinubu approved life imprisonment for students who default on education loans are fake. In a post on its verified X account, the agency states that there is no jail term for loan non-repayment as described in the circulating reports.
NELFUND points to an image of a purported newspaper front page being shared online, which alleges a statement that “all students who fail to repay their loan after graduation will go to jail for life.” The agency says the announcement did not originate from government sources and that the speculation is not true. Both outlets report that the story is being circulated alongside other misinformation, with NELFUND previously refuting fabricated circulars and notices related to the student loan disbursement programme.
Overall, the outlets converge on NELFUND’s denial and its characterization of the claim as misinformation, while providing the same core detail that the supposed policy does not exist as stated. The reports do not include any official confirmation of an imprisonment provision from the government or NELFUND.
