Nigeria School Opening Misinformation: Fake Circulars Keep Targeting Resumption Dates

On 8 September 2026, a document bearing the fabricated reference "FME/SS/UNI/2026/128" and the forged signature of a "Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Garba" claimed Federal Unity Colleges' holiday had been extended by three weeks, pushing resumption from 13 September to 4 October. The Ministry's actual acting permanent secretary is Dr. (Mrs.) Folake Olatunji David — a name mismatch that was one of several signs the circular was fake. ^[2]

The Ministry's Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said in a statement on 12 September 2026 that the document was "completely fraudulent" and urged the public to disregard it, reaffirming that all Federal Unity Colleges would resume as originally scheduled on Monday, 14 September 2026. ^[3]

Days earlier, the Ministry had also disowned a separate forged circular claiming approved Federal Unity College fees had been set at ₦386,000, warning parents to verify fee information only through official channels. Two impersonation hoaxes debunked in one resumption window underscores how routine this tactic has become. ^[4]

Education Minister Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa said the government remained committed to "a safe, orderly and seamless resumption process," and the Ministry repeatedly urged students, parents, principals, staff and the media to disregard unofficial circulars and verify school information only through its own channels. ^[3]

Forged resumption and fee circulars impersonating the Ministry of Education are a recurring feature of Nigerian school terms, from a doctored 2020 ministerial video to two separate fake circulars debunked within days of each other in September 2026. None had any official basis, and the Ministry's practice is to disown them quickly and publicly. Parents are advised to verify resumption dates and fees directly with schools or the Ministry rather than relying on circulating documents.