Senate has summoned the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the leadership of the Federal Scholarship Board to address the delay in paying outstanding grants to Nigerian students stranded in other countries.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Senate has also called on the Federal Government to impose appropriate sanctions on officials responsible for the students’ hardships.
Also, Prof. Tahir has been tasked with providing a detailed report on the status of all Nigerian students under international scholarship programs, along with a breakdown of their unpaid entitlements.
The Senate in plenary on Tuesday also urged its President, Godswill Akpabio, to, as a matter of urgency, “carry out a holistic investigation into the matter and ensure that necessary measures are taken to rectify this situation promptly.”
The resolution of the Senate followed a motion on a matter of urgent importance moved by the lawmaker representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Salihu Mustapha.
He said, “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.
“This initiative supports the government’s commitment to Bilateral Education Agreements and Multilateral Agreements with the Commonwealth and other international partners.
“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.
“The recurrence of these issues suggests systemic failures, despite previous interventions by this distinguished chamber to prevent such situations.”
He added, “The Federal Government’s failure to meet its financial commitments under these international agreements for over ten months, will jeopardise the welfare and academic progress of the affected students.
“The failure to fulfil 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.”
