The Federal Government has firmly refuted reports suggesting that Nigerian students studying in Morocco under government-sponsored scholarships have been abandoned, insisting that all legitimate beneficiaries remain fully covered.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the claims making the rounds as “false, unfounded, and deliberately crafted to mislead the public.”
Speaking through the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, on the 6th of January, 2026, Boriowo Folasade, the minister stressed: “No Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned.”
Dr Alausa explained that students admitted under the Bilateral Education Scholarship Programme prior to 2024 have received funding up to the 2024 budget cycle, in line with the Federal Government’s commitments. He acknowledged that there have been delays in some payments but attributed them to prevailing fiscal constraints, adding that the issue is currently being addressed through ongoing engagements between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.
The minister also dismissed reports alleging that new bilateral scholarship awards were approved in October 2025 or beyond, describing the documents being circulated in support of such claims as “fake and unauthenticated.”
According to Dr Alausa, the Federal Government’s decision to discontinue certain overseas scholarship schemes followed an extensive policy review. The review, he said, established that Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education now possess the capacity to adequately offer many of the programmes previously pursued abroad.
Under the new framework, only scholarships that are fully funded by foreign governments will continue, with host countries bearing all financial responsibilities.
Despite the policy shift, the minister assured that students already enrolled under earlier agreements would continue to enjoy full government support until they complete their programmes. He added that beneficiaries who choose to return to Nigeria would be allowed to do so without obstacles, with the government facilitating their reintegration into local institutions and covering their return travel costs.
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Dr Alausa noted that the reforms were introduced to curb inefficiencies and abuses within the scholarship system, explaining that sponsoring overseas training for courses readily available in Nigeria had placed avoidable financial strain on public resources.
“Our reforms are designed to promote transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public resources,” he said.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students, while warning against the spread of misinformation and efforts to undermine policies aimed at strengthening national capacity and safeguarding the integrity of the education sector.