Dare Babalola
The Federal Government has rubbished claims that Nigerian students on scholarship in Morocco were abandoned, saying the reports are misleading and aimed at spreading false info.
Reports had emerged that Nigerian students on Federal Government scholarships in Morocco were struggling with hardships like homelessness and inadequate medical support, sparking widespread concern on social media.
A video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) featured activist Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, talking to Nigerian students in Morocco who claimed they’ve gone years without receiving financial support despite being on scholarship.
Reacting, Federal Ministry of Education’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said in a Wednesday statement that claims circulating are “false, unfounded, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.”
According to the statement, Minister of Education Maruf Alausa, said, “No Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned.”
Alausa explained that “all beneficiaries duly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship Programme prior to 2024 had received payments up to the 2024 budget year, in line with government obligations.”
According to the ministry, any delays in outstanding payments are due to fiscal challenges. The minister said such temporary 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 also dismissed claims that new bilateral scholarship awards were granted in 2025.
The statement noted that the minister explained that “no new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or at any time thereafter,” adding that documents circulating to suggest otherwise are “fake, unauthenticated, and constitute a calculated attempt to mislead the public and discredit government policy.”
The statement explained that the decision to discontinue government-funded bilateral scholarships abroad followed a policy review, which found that Nigeria now has “sufficient capacity within its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to deliver the affected programmes locally.”
As a result, the government said only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are now being supported, “with all financial obligations borne entirely by the host countries.”
Despite the policy shift, FG said it remains committed to students already enrolled under previous arrangements and “will continue to support them until the completion of their programmes.”
The ministry also said students who choose to discontinue their studies abroad may formally write to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards. Such students, the statement said, “are being offered the option of returning to Nigeria, where they will be seamlessly reintegrated into appropriate tertiary institutions of their choice,” while the FG will cover their return travel costs.
Alausa said the current administration is determined to reform the scholarship system, noting that previous practices placed unnecessary strain on public finances. According to him, “past practices that sponsored overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria placed avoidable financial burdens on the nation.”
The statement concluded that the ongoing reforms are aimed at “promoting transparency, accountability, and the prudent management of public resources,” while reaffirming the government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students and rejecting “misinformation, blackmail, or any attempt to undermine policies designed to strengthen national capacity and safeguard the integrity of the education sector.”
