A Nigerian man, Jonathan Kish Adamu, has shared decades-old documents showing how he obtained a government student loan to study law at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and later repaid the loan, sparking discussions about student financing, repayment and the value of money over time.
Adamu shared a loan award letter from the Nigerian Students Loans Board covering the 1990/91 loan award period. The letter informed him that his application had been approved and directed him to contact the board’s area officer to complete the required agreement and bond forms.
According to Adamu, the loan helped him finance his studies at ABU Zaria and subsequently pay his tuition at the Nigerian Law School. He said he repaid the loan after graduating and starting work.
An official receipt shared alongside the letter is dated April 3, 2003, and numbered 186209. It records a payment of ₦2,140, written in words as “Two Thousand, One Hundred and Forty Naira Only.” The handwritten description identifies the payment as full settlement of a loan connected to his studies at ABU Zaria.
Adamu also said he received a letter of discharge after fulfilling his repayment obligation. He expressed regret that the former student loan scheme was discontinued, attributing its end to mismanagement.
The documents have drawn comments from social media users, some of whom discussed the history of student loans in Nigeria, while others raised questions about the ability of graduates to repay education loans in today’s job market.
One commenter, Dachip Anthony Philip, questioned whether graduates would be able to find employment to repay their loans, asking, “Do u even finish and get the work to do today in order to pay the loan?”
Another commenter, Solomon Hassan, described the documents as a “beautiful piece of history,” saying he had never heard of the former Nigerian Students Loans Board or Education Bank. He also acknowledged the NELFUND programme but argued that Nigeria should be discussing bigger policies.
Samaila Leeman focused on the repayment amount, commenting, “Imagine what N2,140 can buy today.”
The former student loan scheme predates the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which currently provides financial assistance to eligible students in approved tertiary institutions across Nigeria.