Claim: An X-user, @mariolexxx alleged in a viral video that African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Mr. Peter Obi, promised to abolish student loans if he becomes Nigeria’s president. Verdict: False–There is no evidence that Peter Obi ever promised to abolish student loans. His comments in December 2024 were a critique of the government’s budgetary priorities
Claim: An X-user, @mariolexxx alleged in a viral video that African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Mr. Peter Obi, promised to abolish student loans if he becomes Nigeria’s president.
Verdict: False–There is no evidence that Peter Obi ever promised to abolish student loans. His comments in December 2024 were a critique of the government’s budgetary priorities and the structure of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), not a pledge to scrap the scheme.
Full Story
In January 2024, Peter Obi criticised the government’s allocation of funds to education under President Bola Tinubu. He stated:
“Allocating only ₦5 billion for student loans while budgeting ₦6 billion for a car park for legislators is a clear case of misplaced priorities. The Nigerian Education Loan Fund is a wasteful venture. What we need is direct investment in education and human capital development.”
His remarks sparked widespread reactions from stakeholders, including students and the Presidency.
In a reaction, Hon. Sunday Asefon, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, described Obi’s comments as “deeply unfortunate.” He defended NELFund as a strategic investment in human capital development, designed to provide millions of Nigerian youths with access to tertiary education.
Fast forward to January 2026, a 3.34-minute video resurfaced online, claiming Obi had promised to abolish student loans if elected president. The speaker in the video accused Obi and other opposition figures of being oppressors, warning that scrapping loans would entrench poverty and deny poor Nigerians access to education. See the screenshot of the claim below:
This backlash coincides with Obi’s preparations to contest the 2027 presidential elections under the ADC against incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The timing raises questions about whether the resurfaced video is politically motivated.
Verification
NDRFact reviewed the viral video and its comments section, noting mixed reactions:
For instance, @OmotolaMohammed berated Peter Obi, saying: “When they remove children doing odd jobs from the street obidients complain. An avenue is created to keep them in school Obi condemns it! I’ve come to the conclusion that obidient movement is not all about good governance.
However, @onyeagba_emmy was sceptical and asked, “Mumu. Show me one place where Peter said he will remove student loans? Just one. This one jump carries a camera and ring light for Fake news”.
This led us to conduct a reverse image search of the statement and traced the video’s narrative back to Obi’s December 2024 statement, which criticised budget allocations but did not include any promise to scrap student loans.
Further checks on StraightFromNaija’s Facebook page clarified that Obi’s remarks were a critique of the implementation of NELFund under Tinubu’s administration, not a rejection of student financing altogether. His past positions show support for student loans as a tool for education access, provided they are paired with job creation to ensure graduates can repay and contribute productively to the economy.
Conclusion
Investigations confirm that Peter Obi never promised to abolish student loans. His December 2024 statement was a critique of government priorities and the structure of NELFund. Obi has consistently advocated for stronger education funding through scholarships, grants, and direct investment, while supporting student loans when linked to employment opportunities.
Verdict: False — Obi did not pledge to remove student loans.
