Breaking: FG responds to claims of abandoning Nigerian students in Morocco

The Federal Government has responded to claims that Nigerian students on scholarship in Morocco have been left without financial support, describing reports circulating on social media as “false and deliberately misleading.”

Concerns emerged after activist Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, shared a video showing Nigerian students in Morocco alleging they had not received scholarship payments for years and were struggling with homelessness and lack of medical care.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Education, said the claims were unfounded. The Ministry clarified that while payments had been made up to the 2024 budget year, students did not receive disbursements in 2025 due to ongoing fiscal challenges being addressed with the Ministry of Finance.

Minister of Education Maruf Olatunji Alausa confirmed that no Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship had been abandoned, stressing that delays in payments were administrative rather than intentional.

“All beneficiaries duly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship Programme prior to 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year, in line with government obligations,” Alausa said.

The Minister also clarified that no new bilateral scholarships were awarded in 2025, adding that documents suggesting otherwise were “fake and unauthenticated.”

He explained that the government had discontinued funding bilateral scholarships abroad after reviewing the policy, concluding that Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education now had sufficient capacity to run these programmes domestically.

Under the revised system, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are supported, with financial obligations borne entirely by host countries.

Students already enrolled under previous arrangements will continue to receive support until they complete their studies.

Those wishing to return to Nigeria may do so, with the government covering travel costs and ensuring reintegration into local institutions.

Alausa emphasized that the reforms are intended to promote transparency, accountability, and prudent use of public resources, noting that previous practices of sponsoring overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria imposed unnecessary financial burdens on the nation.

The Ministry urged students and the public to rely on verified government communications for information regarding scholarship programmes.