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Claim: A Facebook user claims the federal government’s student loan programme did not include tertiary schools in Nigeria’s Southeast region.
Verdict: False. The alleged exclusion of Southeastern tertiary schools is untrue, as DUBAWA’s investigation revealed that students from the region were among the scheme’s beneficiaries.
Full Text
As part of efforts to improve education in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu passed a bill in May 2023 that allows the provision of loans to students in public tertiary institutions.
Earlier this year, the government began granting students access to student loans through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
On Oct. 1, 2024, a Facebook user, Prince Emmanuel, alleged that students from the Southeastern region were excluded from the ongoing student loans programme.
As of Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, the post has garnered over five comments, 15 likes, and 34 likes.
DUBAWA visited the post’s comment section and found that some loan applicants believed the narrative to be genuine.
A Facebook user, Chris Chukwudi, wrote, “Everything that has a beginning has an end.”
Condemning the issue, Amaka Goodness, another user, commented: “It will end one day.”
“We are coming,” said Sunday Aunkam.
Having noticed the potential conflict such a claim might lead to, DUBAWA decided to verify its authenticity.
Verification
DUBAWA checked NELFUND’s official X and found a post informing about the disbursement of student loans to an additional 40 tertiary institutions, bringing the total to 59 schools.
We carefully reviewed the list and observed that schools from the South East, such as the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State, Delta State University Abraka, Delta State, Ebonyi State University, Ebonyi State, and the Federal University of Technology Ikot-Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, are included in it.
Further, credible news outlets like Leadership and Guardian reported how NELFUND extended the programme to 40 tertiary institutions, including schools in the Southeastern region.
Finally, we contacted Zainab Adewale, an education reporter with Premium Times, who described the claim as “unfounded.”
“On their website, they stated that the student loan programme is designed to be accessible to all eligible Nigerian students, regardless of location,” she told DUBAWA.
We also checked NELFUND’s website and found the statement referenced by Ms Adewale.
It reads: “The Student Loan Initiative is in perfect alignment with the government’s vision for education to be accessible to all Nigerians.”
Conclusion
This claim is false as DUBAWA found Southeastern states listed as beneficiaries of the NELFUND.
