The Federal Government has dismissed circulating reports alleging that Nigerian students on scholarship in Morocco have been abandoned, describing the claims as misleading, false, and deliberately designed to misinform the public.
In an official statement issued by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, clarified that no Nigerian student enrolled under a valid Federal Government scholarship has been neglected.
According to the statement, all beneficiaries admitted into the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme prior to 2024 have received their entitlements up to the 2024 budget year, in line with the Federal Government’s commitments. Any outstanding payments, the Minister explained, are the result of prevailing fiscal constraints and are currently being resolved through ongoing discussions between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry further clarified that no new bilateral scholarship awards were granted in October 2025 or at any time thereafter. Documents circulating online to suggest otherwise were described as fake, unauthenticated, and part of a calculated attempt to discredit government policy and mislead the public.
Dr. Alausa noted that the decision to discontinue government-funded bilateral scholarships abroad followed a comprehensive policy review, which confirmed that Nigeria now has adequate capacity within its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to deliver the affected programmes locally.
As a result, the Federal Government now supports only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments, with all financial obligations borne entirely by host countries.
Despite the policy shift, the government reaffirmed its commitment to students already enrolled under previous arrangements, assuring that they will continue to receive support until the completion of their studies.
For students who may wish to discontinue their programmes abroad, the Ministry stated that they may formally apply to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards. Such students will be assisted to return to Nigeria and seamlessly reintegrated into suitable tertiary institutions of their choice. The Federal Government will also bear the cost of their return travel to ensure a smooth transition.
The statement emphasized that the reforms are aimed at eliminating inefficiencies and long-standing abuses within the scholarship system, noting that previous practices—such as sponsoring overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria—placed unnecessary financial strain on the country.
The Federal Government reiterated that the ongoing reforms are driven by a commitment to transparency, accountability, and the prudent management of public resources.
This clarification follows a viral video on social media alleging that Nigerian students in Morocco were facing severe hardships, including homelessness and lack of medical support.
The video featured activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who spoke with several students claiming they had not received financial support for years despite being scholarship beneficiaries.
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