Nigerian students on the Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship programme in Morocco say the Federal Government has abandoned them for more than 15 months without paying their entitlements, and that has led to the death of one of them.
The development came to public attention after popular sports presenter Pooja posted photographs of the students holding protest placards during the Nigeria versus Gabon match in Morocco on his official X account.
Pooja said he was shocked when he noticed placards with his name and approached the group to understand their grievances.
He said one of the students told him that “the Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars under the Federal Government have been abandoned in Morocco for over 15 months without payment.”
He added that the situation had become so severe that the students “lost one student to illness because they can’t afford his medical bills.”
Pooja said he pledged to use his platforms to draw attention to the crisis, noting that “the relevant authorities” must intervene urgently.
The post triggered widespread anger online, as many Nigerians accused the Bola Tinubu administration of failing to meet basic obligations to students it sent abroad under official sponsorship.
A user identified as CIA said the problem had persisted for months and that “a good number have both ‘passport and visa’ expired but cannot return home or even renew their passport.”
He alleged that some officials at the Nigerian Embassy in Morocco were charging students up to $400 for passport renewal despite their lack of funds.
Another user, Samuel IJ, described the situation as “heartbreaking” and said the death of a student due to lack of support was “unacceptable”.
He said the “relevant authorities must act immediately to ensure these students get the support they were promised.”
Several commenters questioned why the government would sponsor students abroad only to “ghost them”, with one user writing, “How do you sponsor students abroad and then abandon them?”
Others criticised the government’s priorities, arguing that Nigeria had repeatedly shown disregard for education and human development.
A user identified as Lucky Mane said the issue reflected “all priority” problems, adding, “When will Nigeria start prioritising education?”
Some commenters demanded immediate action from the Ministry of Education, NIDCOM, and the Nigerian Embassy in Morocco.
Others argued that Nigeria’s recurring failure to fund its students abroad mirrors a wider pattern of owing lecturers, doctors, and teachers at home.
One user said leaders must stop making promises they cannot fulfil, warning that scholarship pledges had become “empty commitments” that destroy young people’s futures.
The Tinubu government has yet to issue an official response to the growing outrage at the time of filing this report.
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