Parliament

Senate probes delay in scholarship payments to Nigerian students abroad

The Senate has directed its Committee on Education to invite the Federal Scholarship Board and the Minister of Education to provide a detailed report on the status of Nigerian students under international scholarship programmes.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC-Kwara) at plenary in Abuja on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

Presenting the motion, Mustapha, said the federal government usually award annual scholarships to outstanding students to further their studies abroad to develop a cadre of exceptional professionals for the nation’s development.

He said the scholarships were part of a broader initiative to promote specialised education through partnerships with foreign institutions, facilitated by entities such as the Federal Scholarship Board under the Ministry of Education.

Nigerian teenager bags scholarship to study in Standford, MIT, Yale, Penn

The lawmaker noted that the scholarship scheme supported the government’s commitment to Bilateral Education Agreements (BEA) and Multilateral Agreements with Commonwealth and other international partners.

Mustapha said reports of Nigerian students facing hardships in Algeria, China, Morocco, Russia, and the United Kingdom due to non-payment of tuition and living stipends had resulted in negative media reports and national embarrassment.

“The recurring problems are indication of systemic failures, in spite of previous interventions by the Senate to prevent the situation,” the senator said.

Mustapha said the government’s inability to meet its financial obligations under the international agreements for over ten months had jeopardised the welfare and academic progress of the affected students.

The lawmaker said failure to fulfil the obligations would affect Nigeria’s reputation.

This, he said, was capable of driving the students into unlawful activities to sustain themselves abroad.

The Star

Segun Ojo

Recent Posts

National grid collapses for second time in 3 days

The national grid has again collapsed, leading to a nationwide blackout. This is the second…

1 hour ago

‘Doing harm to kids’: Australia to ban children under 16 from social media

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to ban children under 16 from social media,…

4 hours ago

Lagos govt shuts churches, hotels over noise pollution

The Lagos State Government has shut churches, including the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)…

4 hours ago

Makinde approves N80,000 minimum wage for Oyo workers

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has approved a minimum wage of N80,000 for civil servants…

6 hours ago

Stock market reverses gain as investors lose N337bn

The Nigerian stock market reversed its gains from the previous session, recording a N337 billion…

6 hours ago

Champions League: Inter Milan beat Arsenal as Atletico Madrid stun PSG

Inter Milan defeated Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, while a 93rd-minute…

6 hours ago

This website uses cookies.