Guinea: no, the government is not offering 960,000 computers to students, the announcement is false

A popular message on WhatsApp claims that Guinea will distribute more than 960,000 free laptops to its students, with a link to register. This is false. This program does not exist, the Guinean Ministry of Higher Education has denied it, and the figure does not hold up: there are many more computers announced than students throughout the country.

Where does the rumor come from? ?

On July 29, 2026, a member presented under the name Thierno shared a message in the WhatsApp group “Youth Collective for the Development of Education in Guinea”, which brings together 196 people. The text announced: “Applications for the 2026 Student Laptop Program are available. More than 960,000 students will receive a free laptop, with a registration link.

What are the authorities saying?

The Guinean Ministry of Higher education and scientific research bluntly denies this. Its secretary general, Facinet Conté, immediately points out what is wrong with the figure:

“This is information that must be taken with a pinch of salt. All of Guinea has only 62,000 students, both private and public. This is not true. »

The ministry's communications officer, Delamou Zingui, confirms that nothing of the sort has been launched: “No, I am not aware of this information. From the communications department, we have not received any information on this subject. »

The author of the share admits his mistake

Joined by Fanta Condé, journalist at Sabaty TV, the one who broadcast the message admits to being wrong: “It was after sharing the message that I realized it was false. I'm really sorry. This was the first message of this kind that I had to share on the group, I think I will refrain from now on. Someone sent it to me. » Shortly after, other members of the group also reported that the information was false.

What the facts say

The last real distribution of computers to students dates from February 3, 2025. That day, the Guinean government handed over 1,000 of them, during a ceremony chaired by the Prime Minister, as we can read on the official website of the Prime Minister's Office. We are far from the 960,000 machines announced. Compared to the 62,000 students in the country, this figure alone is enough to dispel the rumor.

Verdict : FALSE

It is FALSE. There is no application program for a massive donation of computers to students in Guinea. Nothing on official channels, a denial from the Ministry of Higher Education, an author who admits his error, and a figure which exceeds the total number of students in the country. Faced with this type of ad, especially when it asks to register online, it is better not to click on any link and check with official sources, because these messages often hide a scam.

This article was written as part of the Citizen Fact-Check project funded by the Association of Bloggers for Active Citizenship (ABCA) and its partners.