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The Nigerian government has said that no student on a valid government scholarship has been abandoned, dismissing claims circulating about Nigerian students studying in Morocco.
The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, in a statement on Wednesday, said reports suggesting that scholarship students had been left without support are “false, unfounded, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.”
Alausa said all Nigerian students enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) programme before 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year.
According to Alausa, any delays in outstanding payments are due to financial constraints and are being addressed through ongoing discussions between the education ministry and the Ministry of Finance.
“No Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned,” Alausa said.
He also denied claims that new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or later, adding that the documents circulating online purporting to show new awards are fake, unauthenticated, and constitute a calculated attempt to mislead the public and discredit government policy.
The minister explained that the decision to discontinue government-funded bilateral scholarships abroad followed a comprehensive policy review, which concluded that Nigeria now has sufficient capacity within its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to deliver the affected programmes locally.
“Consequently, only scholarships that are fully funded by foreign governments are now being supported, with all financial obligations borne entirely by the host countries,” Alausa added.
“Notwithstanding this policy shift, the Federal Government remains fully committed to students already enrolled under the previous arrangements and will continue to support them until the completion of their programmes.”
The ministry added that students who wish to discontinue their studies abroad can apply to return to Nigeria, where they will be placed in suitable tertiary institutions, noting that the government will also pay for their return travel.
“In addition, students who may prefer to discontinue their studies abroad may formally write to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards.
“Such students are being offered the option of returning to Nigeria, where they will be seamlessly reintegrated into appropriate tertiary institutions of their choice. The Federal Government will also cover their return travel costs to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.”
According to Alausa, the current administration remains resolute in eliminating inefficiencies and abuses within the scholarship system.
