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…explains end of bilateral scholarships, pledges continued support for current beneficiaries
The Federal Government has dismissed claims circulating in some quarters that Nigerian scholarship students in the Kingdom of Morocco have been abandoned, describing the reports as false, unfounded and deliberately misleading.
In a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations, on Wednesday, Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, clarified that no Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been neglected.
According to the minister, all beneficiaries enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme before 2024 have received their entitlements up to the 2024 budget year, in line with government obligations.
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He explained that any temporary delays in outstanding payments were due to fiscal constraints and are currently being resolved through ongoing engagements between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.
Alausa further disclosed that no new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or at any time thereafter, stressing that documents being circulated to suggest otherwise are fake and unauthenticated.
He described the circulation of such documents as a calculated attempt to misinform 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 in its universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to offer the affected programmes locally.
As a result of the policy shift, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are now being supported, with all financial obligations borne entirely by the host countries.
However, Alausa assured that the Federal Government remains fully committed to students already enrolled under previous arrangements and will continue to support them until they complete their programmes.
He also noted that students who wish to discontinue their studies abroad may formally apply to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards, and opt to return to Nigeria. Such students, he said, would be seamlessly reintegrated into suitable tertiary institutions of their choice, with the Federal Government covering their return travel costs.
Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to reform, the minister said ongoing measures are aimed at eliminating inefficiencies and abuses within the scholarship system. He noted that past practices of sponsoring overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria placed unnecessary financial burdens on the country.
The Federal Government reiterated its commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students and strongly warned against misinformation, blackmail or attempts to undermine policies designed to strengthen national capacity and promote transparency and accountability in the education sector.
