President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, criticizes former Kogi West senator Dino Melaye over claims about the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Melaye, in a viral video, alleges NELFUND provides students only ₦20,000 annually and argues this is insufficient to cover tuition costs, describing the scheme as linked to corruption.
Onanuga rejects Melaye’s assertion, calling it a “brazen lie” and posting on X that viewers “wonder what” Melaye had “smoked” before making the statement. Nigerian Eye reports that Melaye’s remarks also draw criticism from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which says he should not be treated as credible on education matters and questions his record when he was a senator.
Across the outlets, the core dispute centers on what NELFUND provides to beneficiaries and how political figures frame the program publicly. The reports reflect differing emphases—Onanuga’s rebuttal and humor on one side, and NANS’s challenge to Melaye’s credentials on the other.
