Nigeria Denies Abandoning Scholarship Students in Morocco Amid Controversy
Otamere Gladness 
Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday firmly rejects claims that Nigerian students on government scholarships in Morocco have been abandoned, describing the reports as false, misleading and deliberately crafted to discredit public policy.
In a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, says no legitimate beneficiary under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme has been neglected.
“All students admitted under the BES scheme before 2024 have received their entitlements up to the 2024 budget year,” Alausa states, adding that any outstanding payments result from temporary fiscal constraints currently under discussion with the Ministry of Finance.
The minister also dismisses circulating documents alleging new bilateral scholarship awards in October 2025 as “fake, unauthenticated and a calculated attempt to mislead the public.”
“There have been no new bilateral scholarships issued from October 2025 or thereafter,” he says.
Alausa explains that government-funded bilateral scholarships were suspended following a policy review which confirms that Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges now possess adequate capacity to deliver the affected academic programmes locally. “Only scholarships fully financed by foreign governments remain operational,” the statement adds.
The ministry also assures that students who choose to discontinue studies abroad may apply formally for repatriation, with guarantees of smooth reintegration into Nigerian tertiary institutions and full coverage of return travel costs.
Signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the release reiterates the government’s “unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students” while warning against misinformation capable of undermining ongoing education reforms.
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