ASHENEWS reports that Federal scholarship awardees have expressed frustration over long delays in the payment of their allowances, years after submitting required documents through their institutions to the Federal Scholarship Board.
At an engagement with awardees’ leaders, the students urged the government to act fast and ease the hardship caused by the unpaid funds.
“Several attempts have been made to engage relevant authorities, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the National Assembly. Regrettably, these efforts have not yielded any concrete action or a credible timeline for payment,” said Salihu Iliya, a representative of awardees in the North Central region.
He said while government often speaks about education as a right, students should not be left to suffer while waiting for promises to be fulfilled.
In a joint statement signed by awardees’ leaders across the country, the beneficiaries said repeated appeals to relevant authorities had not produced any meaningful result.
They said scholarship funds have not been released for awardees in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 cohorts, while some students are still waiting for arrears owed between 2022 and 2024.
Under the Federal Government scholarship scheme, students in tertiary institutions are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 4.0 after their first year to remain eligible until graduation. The Federal Scholarship Board is responsible for issuing award letters and overseeing payments.
But students say the process has been slowed by persistent delays that have left many in financial distress.
Kabiru Datti Na Malanta, a 2022 beneficiary and final-year Civil Engineering student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, said he first saw the scholarship as a relief from financial pressure.
“Months after writing the qualifying exam in October 2022, successful candidates were invited for physical verification. We were awarded ₦250,000 per session, meant to support us until graduation,” he said.
He explained that the award was later increased to ₦300,000 and then ₦450,000 per session, but the money has still not been paid. He said he has had to borrow money for basic needs, hoping to repay once the funds are eventually released.
Another beneficiary, Umar Faruk Sada, a 300-level student at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, said the delay has made everyday life difficult.
“As a student with limited resources, the delayed disbursement makes it difficult to afford basic needs such as feeding, accommodation, and academic materials. It also affects my ability to focus on my studies,” he said. He added that after waiting for two years without any response, his hope is fading.
The students said the situation is eroding trust in government-backed education programmes. Nafiza Abubakar, a student at Ahmadu Bello University, described the delay as discouraging and harmful to national development.
“If scholarship programmes are designed to support citizens, what is the point when funds are not released?” she asked.
Shaibu Rufai Omale of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said the delays run against broader efforts to strengthen education and support young people.
“Policies aimed at improving education must be effectively implemented to ensure no student is left behind due to financial constraints,” he said.
Summaiyyah Muhammad, also of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, said the problem reflects deeper weaknesses in the education system.
“Delayed funds are just one part of the problem. Combined with poor learning environments, they highlight deeper gaps that affect students’ ability to learn effectively,” she said.
The impact is not limited to undergraduates. A postgraduate student at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, who asked not to be named, said the delay has stalled his academic progress.
“This delay has affected the morale of students, especially those struggling to sponsor themselves,” he said, adding that his thesis has been put on hold because of financial constraints.
He said repeated efforts to reach relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Education and the Office of the Accountant-General, have not produced any solution.
As of press time, the Federal Scholarship Board had not responded to emails sent to it on the matter.
With frustration mounting, the awardees are calling for urgent action to clear the backlog and restore confidence in the scholarship scheme.
