The clarification follows the circulation of a document on social media alleging that monthly upkeep payments had been halted due to the non-release of government funds. According to NELFUND, the document is entirely false and did not originate from the agency.
Speaking on the development, NELFUND's Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, described the document as fake and urged beneficiaries and the general public not to be misled by the misinformation.
She said the document, dated July 10 and falsely attributed to her office, should be disregarded, stressing that neither the Federal Government nor NELFUND had announced or approved any suspension of upkeep allowance payments.
"The document is fake," Oluwatuyi said, urging students and other stakeholders to rely only on NELFUND's official communication channels for verified information.
The misleading publication also claimed that funds earmarked for May, June and subsequent months had not been released by the government, suggesting that the suspension was only temporary and that payments would resume once the outstanding allocations were received.
However, Oluwatuyi dismissed the claims, maintaining that student loan and upkeep allowance disbursements are continuing in line with the Fund's mandate of providing financial support to eligible students in public tertiary institutions across the country.
She further warned that fabricated publications and AI-generated content are increasingly being used to spread false information capable of misleading the public and undermining confidence in government programmes.
Oluwatuyi advised students, parents, tertiary institutions and members of the public to verify every update concerning the student loan scheme through NELFUND's official communication platforms before sharing or acting on such information.
Reaffirming the agency's commitment to transparency and accountability, she assured eligible beneficiaries that approved tuition fees and upkeep allowances would continue to be disbursed in accordance with established guidelines.