The Federal Government has refuted claims that Nigerian scholarship students in Morocco have been abandoned, describing the reports as false and “deliberately crafted to misinform the public.”
The clarification follows a viral video on social media showing Nigerian students under the Federal Government scholarship scheme in Morocco allegedly facing difficulties, including homelessness and lack of medical support. The video featured activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, speaking with students who claimed they had not received financial support for years despite being scholarship recipients.
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, said: “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 further warned: “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 decision to discontinue government-funded bilateral scholarships abroad followed a policy review, which found that Nigeria now has sufficient capacity in its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to run the 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 students already enrolled under previous arrangements will continue to receive support until they complete their programmes. Students who wish to return to Nigeria may formally write to the Director of the Department of Scholarship Awards, and the government will cover their travel costs and ensure they are reintegrated into suitable tertiary institutions.
Dr Alausa stressed that the administration is committed to eliminating inefficiencies and abuses within the scholarship system, noting that past practices of sponsoring overseas training for courses already available in Nigeria placed unnecessary financial burdens on the nation.