Nigerian students studying in Russia under a bilateral scholarship scheme have raised alarm over alleged neglect by the government, saying they have been left to survive without financial support.
The students, many enrolled in medical and engineering programmes, claim their stipends stopped in September 2024, plunging them into hardship.
According to them, the situation has forced several beneficiaries into low-paying and physically demanding jobs, including construction work, just to meet basic needs.
They described their condition as “abject poverty,” stressing that the scholarship arrangement has failed to provide the promised welfare.
The affected students have appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene. “We were last paid in September 2024… and till date we haven’t received a dime,” one student said.
They are calling for immediate payment of outstanding allowances and improved support from the Nigeria government authorities.