By Gbayesola Samuel

Claim:
A viral notice claims that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is currently experiencing a temporary shortage of funds due to the high volume of applications and disbursements across the country.

Verdict:
False. NELFUND has not released any official notice announcing the temporary suspension of its upkeep allowance scheme as stated in the circulating image.

Full Text

A press release titled “URGENT NOTICE TO ALL NELFUND BENEFICIARIES” is currently circulating online, especially across student-centred Facebook groups. The publication claims that NELFUND has announced the temporary suspension of upkeep disbursements, stressing that upkeep allowances for the months of June and July will not be paid.

“This is to inform all students under the NELFUND Scheme that the Fund is currently experiencing a temporary shortage of funds due to the high volume of applications and disbursements across the country,” the memo stated.

The notice, dated Wednesday, May 27, 2026, further added that:

“As a result, the payment of upkeep allowance for this cycle has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Consequently, upkeep allowance for the months of June and July will not be paid.”

It also advised students to remain patient and await further communication from official NELFUND channels.

This fact-check examines whether NELFUND officially released such a memo.

Verification

IndyPress reviewed NELFUND’s official communication channels, including its website and verified social media accounts. As of the time of filing this report, the most recent post on the agency’s official X page was a Children’s Day flyer published on May 27, 2026.

Although the agency is yet to officially debunk the circulating notice, several inconsistencies exist between the viral document and previous official NELFUND communications. More importantly, the notice did not originate from any of the agency’s verified channels.

NELFUND’s website, recent updates, and news reports contain no announcement regarding the suspension of upkeep allowances for June and July 2026 due to a “temporary shortage of funds.”

Additionally, the reference code “NELFUND/PAU/24/05/038” appears inconsistent with the agency’s usual style of official documentation. Social media users have also flagged the circulating document as fabricated.

Recent conversations online involving students and NELFUND officials have focused on delayed upkeep payments in some cases, not a nationwide suspension of the scheme.

Recall that in April 2026, NELFUND debunked similar fake notices and advised the public to rely only on information released through its official platforms.

Official Channels:

• Website: nelf.gov.ng
• Student Portal: portal.nelf.gov.ng
• Social Media: @NELFUND (X, Instagram, Facebook)

Conclusion

The claim that NELFUND has suspended its upkeep scheme is false. The inconsistencies in the viral notice, coupled with the absence of any official announcement from NELFUND, indicate that the document is misleading.

Members of the public and stakeholders are advised to disregard the circulating notice and rely solely on NELFUND’s verified communication channels for accurate and up-to-date information.