Senate Summons Education Minister Over Nigerian Students' Plight Abroad
In response, the Senate summoned the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the leadership of the Federal Scholarship Board regarding the delay in the payment of outstanding grants to the students. Additionally, the upper legislative chamber requested Tahir to provide a comprehensive report on the status of all Nigerian students enrolled in international scholarship programs, including a breakdown of their pending entitlements.
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The Senate emphasized on Tuesday the need for the Federal Government to enforce sanctions against officials accountable for the hardships faced by Nigerian students abroad.
In response, the Senate summoned the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the leadership of the Federal Scholarship Board regarding the delay in the payment of outstanding grants to the students.
Additionally, the upper legislative chamber requested Tahir to provide a comprehensive report on the status of all Nigerian students enrolled in international scholarship programs, including a breakdown of their pending entitlements.
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Expressing his concerns, Salihu Mustapha, the Senate Representative for Kwara Central, remarked, "These scholarships are part of a broader initiative to promote specialized education through partnerships with foreign institutions, facilitated by entities such as the Federal Scholarship Board, under the Federal Ministry of Education."
Mustapha continued, "There are 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."
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Highlighting the persistence of these issues, he stated, "The recurrence of these issues suggests systemic failures, despite previous interventions by this distinguished chamber to prevent such situations."
He further emphasized, "The Federal Government’s failure to meet its financial commitments under these international agreements for over 10 months will jeopardize the welfare and academic progress of the affected students. 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."
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During the plenary session, the Senate instructed its President, Godswill Akpabio, to promptly conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter and ensure that necessary measures were taken to rectify the situation urgently.
