FG Denies Abandoning Nigerian Scholarship Students In Morocco, Calls Viral Reports False
The Federal Government has denied claims that Nigerian scholarship students in Morocco have been abandoned, calling the reports misleading and “deliberately crafted to misinform the public.”
The denial follows a viral video on social media showing Nigerian students under the Federal Government scholarship scheme in Morocco allegedly facing hardships, including homelessness and lack of medical support. The video featured activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, speaking with several students who claimed they had not received financial support for years despite being scholarship beneficiaries.
In a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, clarified: “No Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned. All beneficiaries duly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme prior to 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year, in line with the Federal Government’s obligations. Any temporary delays in outstanding payments are attributable to fiscal constraints and are currently being addressed through ongoing engagements between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.”
The statement also warned against circulating false information: “No new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or at any time thereafter. Documents being circulated to suggest otherwise are fake, unauthenticated, and constitute a calculated attempt to mislead the public and discredit government policy.”
Dr Alausa explained that the discontinuation of 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 run the affected programmes locally. “Consequently, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are now being supported, with all financial obligations borne entirely by the host countries,” the statement added.
The Ministry reassured that the government remains committed to supporting students already enrolled under previous arrangements until they complete their programmes. It also offered an option for students who wish to return to Nigeria, saying: “Such students will be seamlessly reintegrated into appropriate tertiary institutions of their choice. The Federal Government will cover their return travel costs to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.”
Dr Alausa emphasized that the current administration is focused on eliminating inefficiencies and abuses in the scholarship system, noting that past practices of sponsoring overseas training for courses already established in Nigeria placed unnecessary financial burdens on the nation.
