FALSE
Viral WhatsApp messages claimed the Nigerian Federal Government had introduced new mandatory education fees ranging from N10,000 to N50,000. The Federal Ministry of Education confirmed no such fees exist. Africa Check and Dubawa traced the messages to fabricated documents with no official source. The hoax appears designed to cause panic and may be linked to scam operations.
In 2025, viral messages spread across Nigerian WhatsApp groups claiming new mandatory education fees had been introduced by the Federal Government. The messages included fabricated "official documents" listing specific fee amounts. The Federal Ministry of Education issued a denial, stating no such policy exists. Nigerian fact-checkers identified the messages as completely fabricated, noting similar hoaxes have circulated in previous years. Some versions of the messages included payment details that fact-checkers linked to potential scam operations.
The Viral Messages
Messages circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook claimed new fees including "Education Development Levy" and "Student Support Fund" ranging from N10,000 to N50,000 [1].
Some messages included fabricated letterheads and what appeared to be official stamps [3].
Government Denial
The Federal Ministry of Education issued an official statement denying any new fee policy and warning parents to ignore the viral messages [2].
State education boards also issued clarifications that no such fees had been communicated to schools [7].
Scam Connection
Some versions of the messages included bank account details for "fee payment" - a clear indicator of scam intent [4].
Nigeria's cybercrime authorities warned that such hoaxes are often fronts for financial fraud [10].
Conclusion
The viral claims about new Nigerian education fees are completely false. No such policy exists, and the "official documents" are fabricated. Parents should verify any fee-related information directly with schools and official government channels, and never make payments based on viral messages.