Scholarship: Senate Summons Minister, Others over Stranded Nigerians Students Abroad

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate, yesterday, summoned the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the leadership of the Federal Scholarship Board over the delay in the payment of outstanding grants of Nigerian students who were allegedly stranded in many countries across the world.

The upper chamber also asked the federal government to  impose appropriate sanctions on the officials of the Federal Scholarship Board and the Federal Ministry of Education responsible for the pains and suffering the innocent students were going through abroad.

The senate said the unfortunate development was affecting the integrity of Nigeria abroad, adding that the Minister of Education would provide a detailed report on the status of all Nigerian students under international scholarship programmes, including a breakdown of their  unpaid entitlements.

The Senate resolution followed a motion on matter of urgent importance moved by the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Salihu Mustapha.

The Senate in Plenary equally  urged  the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to as a matter of urgency, carry out a holistic investigation into the matter and ensure that necessary measures were taken to rectify this situation promptly.

The Senator explained that the federal government  awarded annual scholarships to outstanding students from across the country to further their (graduate/undergraduate) studies internationally, thereby fostering a cadre of exceptional professionals for national development.

“These scholarships are 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 Federal Ministry of Education.

“Reports of Nigerian students facing hardships in Algeria, China, Morocco, Russia and the United Kingdom due to non-payment of tuition and living stipends, leading to negative media coverage and national embarrassment.

“The recurrence of these issues suggests systemic failures, despite previous interventions by this Distinguished Chamber to prevent such situations.

“The failure to fulfill these obligations not only undermines our national  reputation but also poses significant diplomatic concerns and risks pushing our students towards unlawful activities to sustain their livelihood abroad.”