Editor: Gabriel Ani
ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has dismissed reports alleging that Nigerian scholarship students in Morocco have been abandoned, describing the claims as misleading and “deliberately crafted to misinform the public.”
The clarification follows widespread concerns on social media, triggered by a video shared on X in which activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, interviewed students who alleged years of unpaid allowances, homelessness, and a lack of medical support under the federal scholarship scheme.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Boriowo Folasade, the Director of Press and Public Relations for the Federal Ministry of Education, labeled the circulating narratives as “false and unfounded.”
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, insisted that the government remains committed to its students.
“No Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned,” Alausa said.
The minister explained that all beneficiaries enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship Programme prior to 2024 have received payments through the 2024 budget year. He acknowledged that some outstanding payments exist but attributed them to broader economic factors.
“Such delays are attributable to fiscal constraints and are currently being addressed through ongoing engagements between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance,” Alausa said.
Addressing claims that new scholarships were granted recently, the minister stated that “no new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or at any time thereafter.” He dismissed documents suggesting otherwise as “fake, unauthenticated, and a calculated attempt to discredit government policy.”
The ministry further clarified that the government has moved away from funding bilateral scholarships abroad following a policy review. The review concluded that Nigeria now possesses “sufficient capacity within its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to deliver the affected programmes locally.”
Under the new policy, the government only supports scholarships fully funded by foreign governments, where “all financial obligations are borne entirely by the host countries.”
Despite this shift, Alausa reaffirmed that the government would honor existing commitments.
“The government will continue to support students already enrolled until the completion of their programmes,” the statement read.
The ministry added that students wishing to discontinue their studies abroad can apply to the Director of the Department of Scholarship Awards. The government offered to cover return travel costs and provide “seamless reintegration” into Nigerian tertiary institutions for those who choose to return.
Alausa concluded that the administration’s reforms are necessary to end the “avoidable financial burdens” of sponsoring overseas training for courses available at home. He stated the changes are aimed at “promoting transparency, accountability, and the prudent management of public resources.”
