Eighty-three (83) Nigerians awarded Moroccan scholarships under the Bilateral Education Agreement, BEA, for the 2023/2024 academic session are set to depart Nigeria on November 23 and 24, 2023 respectively.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mammam at a pre-departure briefing in Abuja, Nigeria advised the scholars to make their parents and Nigeria proud by being worthy Ambassadors in their country of study and in character exhibition.
The Minister said the scholars had successfully completed the Mandatory Nine (9) Months French Language Training Programme at various Centres of “Alliance Francaise” in Nigeria for the 2022/2023 academic year and are now fully prepared for departure to Morocco for their main academic courses for the 2023/2024 academic session.
“Your success in being chosen as scholars for the programme is a reflection of academic brilliance as well as the efforts of your Teachers and parents.
“Your selection as scholars is part of a broader plan of deepening the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 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 competences that would be useful in Nigeria’s development agenda.
“You are lucky. As you go, you are representing yourself, your parents and the country. Make us proud. When you finish come back home,” he advised.
He further advised them not to see the opportunity as freedom and begin to do things that would be a disgrace to Nigeria, urging them to report to the embassy of Nigeria as soon as they arrive in Morocco.
“You should not go there, take on another people’s culture and forget your culture.
“A monitoring mechanism, if not already in place will be set up to follow up your activities in your country of study.
“If you go there, the first thing you must do is to report to the Nigeria embassy. They will be your guide and parents over there,” he said.
The Director/Secretary Federal Scholarship Board, Asta Ndaitwo said the first tranche of their entitlements has been paid into their accounts, urging them to be thrift in their expenditure.
“Beginning from January, next year all other sponsorship allowances will be paid through the Central Bank of Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigeria embassy in Morocco,” she said.
Mr Yusuf Mohammed who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Nigerian and Morrocan governments for the life-changing opportunities given to them.
“We are grateful and appreciative of the federal government of Nigeria and Morocco. As we go there, we promise to exhibit the best of our character, make Nigeria proud, and return home after completing our studies, so that we can contribute to the development of Nigeria,” he promised.
One of the parents, Mr Sale Ibrahim who spoke for others said they will continue to pray for the scholars to undertake successful studies and come back to Nigeria.
In recent months under the BEA, Scholars have also gone for studies in Hungary, and Russia among others, while selections for the Commonwealth Scholarship have reached an advanced stage.
Dominica Nwabufo
