FG Denies Abandoning Nigerian Students in Morocco, Says No New Scholarship Awards
The Federal Government has moved to calm growing anxiety around Nigerian students studying in Morocco, firmly rejecting claims that scholarship beneficiaries have been abandoned. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education, the government described reports circulating online as false and misleading, insisting that all Nigerian students properly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship programme remain covered. According to the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, no Nigerian student on a valid federal scholarship has been left stranded. He said beneficiaries admitted before 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year, adding that any delays in outstanding payments were linked to fiscal pressures and are being addressed through discussions with the Ministry of Finance. The government also clarified that no new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or at any time after. Officials warned that documents suggesting otherwise are fake and were designed to misinform the public and undermine government policy. Dr Alausa explained that the decision to halt government funded scholarships abroad followed a policy review which concluded that Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education now have the capacity to offer the affected courses locally. Under the revised policy, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments will continue, with host countries bearing all financial obligations. However, the government said it remains committed to students already studying abroad under previous arrangements and will support them until they complete their programmes. Students who wish to discontinue their studies in Morocco have also been given the option of returning to Nigeria. The ministry said such students will be reintegrated into suitable tertiary institutions of their choice, with the Federal Government covering their return travel costs. The statement added that ongoing reforms in the scholarship system are aimed at ending waste, improving transparency and ensuring better management of public funds.
| 2026-01-07 09:19:08