President Bola Tinubu’s administration says convicted certificate forgers, drug offenders, and cultists are not eligible for the federal government’s student loan scheme.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the administrator of the student loan scheme, disclosed this in its “frequently asked” questions, which were posted on its official X handle on Friday.

NELFUND said applications by citizens “convicted of fraud and forgery, drug offences, cultism, felony, or any offences involving dishonesty” would be rejected.

Others whose application would be rejected include anyone “proven to have defaulted in respect of any previous loan granted” by any licensed financial institution and anyone “found guilty of submitting fake/fraudulent documents and dismissed for exam malpractices by any school authority.”

On Friday, NELFUND opened the application portal for the first phase of the student loan scheme, which is open to students from federal institutions across the country.

Mr Tinubu himself has a series of murky episodes characterised by academic forgery, identity theft, and narcotics trafficking. 

These episodes featured before, during, and after the 2023 presidential election, resulting in litigation from the election petitions tribunal up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The apex court deemed Mr Tinubu fit to rule the country despite damning evidence of his disturbing past.