Nigeria's Decision to Suspend Scholarships in Morocco
Nigeria's Minister of Education, Tunji Alaosa, announced that the federal government has decided to discontinue funding for certain international scholarships as part of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA). This decision comes after a thorough review of the effectiveness of these educational programs. The minister clarified that this suspension particularly impacts a program that facilitated the study of Nigerian students in countries such as Morocco and Algeria. He emphasized that the government is reassessing its expenditure on international scholarship programs, asserting that the priority has shifted towards investing in the education sector within Nigeria itself.
According to Minister Alaosa, the Nigerian government was spending approximately 650 million Naira to send around 150 students to Morocco. This substantial financial commitment raised questions regarding the program's overall benefit to the government. He pointed out that students were pursuing fields of study in Morocco, which included journalism and psychology—disciplines that are also available in Nigerian higher education institutions. Moreover, he mentioned that students sent to Algeria were studying English, even though Arabic is the country's primary language.
In his remarks, Alaosa stated that the students who were planned to be sent to Morocco would have spent their first year learning French before commencing their academic programs. He articulated, "Firstly, we have all those fields of study available in Nigeria. Secondly, they would have to learn French for a year before starting their courses." The minister's comments were positioned within the broader context of the government's review of international scholarship programs.
Regarding the financial implications, he remarked, "If we allocate 650 million Naira to support students in Nigeria, it would benefit thousands of them instead." He concluded by stating that the bilateral education agreement no longer made sense from a governmental perspective, labeling it as a waste of public funds and asserting that the current administration will not squander taxpayer money.
It's important to note that the Nigerian government does not oppose international scholarships outright but is re-evaluating which programs receive financial support from public funds. The minister indicated that countries wishing to offer scholarships to Nigerian students at their own expense are welcome to do so. This clarification aligns with the new government policy concerning international scholarships.
In a related statement, the Nigerian Ministry of Information and National Orientation assured that students already studying abroad will not be abandoned, and the government will continue to meet its obligations to them until they complete their education. Furthermore, the ministry confirmed that fully funded scholarships provided by foreign governments remain unaffected, with the decision primarily impacting new bilateral scholarships financed by the Nigerian government.
As reported by hespress.com.
