The Federal Government has denied claims that Nigerian scholarship students in Morocco were abandoned, calling the allegations “false, unfounded, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.” The controversy followed a video shared by activist Martins Otse (VeryDarkMan), showing students alleging years of unpaid allowances and struggles with housing and medical care. Education Minister Maruf Olatunji Alausa insisted no student on a valid Federal Government scholarship had been abandoned, but confirmed payments only covered the 2024 budget year. “All beneficiaries duly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship Programme prior to 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year, in line with government obligations,” Alausa said.
The minister attributed outstanding 2025 delays to fiscal constraints being addressed with the Ministry of Finance, adding that new scholarship letters for 2025 were “fake and unauthenticated.” He said Nigeria discontinued funding bilateral scholarships abroad after a policy review, shifting support only to scholarships fully funded by foreign governments. Students enrolled before the review will continue to receive support until programme completion, and those opting to return can apply for reintegration into local institutions with travel costs covered. “Past practices that sponsored overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria placed avoidable financial burdens on the nation,” he said.