The Federal Government has dismissed misleading reports claiming that it has abandoned Nigerian students with valid scholarships .
Clarifying the position of the government, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, described such claims as false, unfounded, and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.
According to him “ 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.
He stated that 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 comprehensive policy review, which established that Nigeria now possesses sufficient capacity within its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to deliver the affected programmes locally.
Consequently, only scholarships that are fully funded by foreign governments are now being supported, with all financial obligations borne entirely by the host countries.
Notwithstanding this policy shift, the Federal Government remains fully committed to students already enrolled under the previous arrangements and will continue to support them until the completion of their programmes.
In addition, students who may prefer to discontinue their studies abroad may formally write to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards. Such students are being offered the option of returning to Nigeria, where they will be seamlessly reintegrated into appropriate tertiary institutions of their choice.
The Federal Government will also cover their return travel costs to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.
According to the Honourable Minister, the current administration remains resolute in eliminating inefficiencies and abuses within the scholarship system. Past practices that sponsored overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria placed avoidable financial burdens on the nation.The ongoing reforms are therefore aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and the prudent management of public resources.
The Federal Government reiterates its unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students and strongly rejects misinformation, blackmail, or any attempt to undermine policies designed to strengthen national capacity and safeguard the integrity of the education sector.
