Eighty-three Nigerian Scholars Depart for Morocco

Eighty-three Nigerian scholars have departed the country for Morocco under the Bilateral Education Agreement of the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, said the scholars were chosen in accordance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed Hope agenda and will pursue studies in various fields in Morocco.

“Your selection as scholars is part of a broader plan of deepening the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, which ensures that brilliant Nigerians, especially those that cannot afford to study programmes that are not readily available in Nigeria, are supported to get necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies that would be useful in Nigeria’s development agenda,” Mamman said.

Mamman noted that the ministry has further increased the number of its development partners, noting that several countries now offer scholarships to Nigerian students.

“The active countries include Hungary, China, Russia, Algeria, Romania, Morocco, Serbia, Mexico, Egypt, and Venezuela; others not very active include Macedonia, Poland, South Korea, Greece, Japan, and Turkey,” he added.

He also disclosed that in order to reciprocate their good gestures, Nigeria has also offered scholarship awards to China and Romania in the past and hopes to reactivate the gesture as the country and others indicate interest.

The minister, however, urged the departing scholars to represent Nigeria with pride and make the most of their educational opportunities.

Mamman advised them to adapt to the new cultural environment, abide by local laws and regulations, and connect with the Nigerian Embassy in Rabat for support and guidance.

“I therefore need to advise you not to see this as a freedom and you begin to do things that would be a disgrace to you, your parents, and the country. Nigeria is investing a lot in you and expect that the returns of the investment will manifest in your coming back to help move your nation forward.

“Living in a foreign land is very different from living in Nigeria. You must learn to abide by the rules governing wherever you would be studying and for those of you going to the same place, I will advise you to learn to become your brother’s keeper.

Most importantly, you need to make your presence known to the Nigerian Embassy in Rabat. This is very necessary, based on our experiences from Ukraine.”

November 23, 2023