No fewer than 93 students from Zamfara State, currently on scholarship at Cyprus International University, are reportedly stranded due to unpaid tuition, housing, feeding allowances, and poor documentation. The Zamfara State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Wadatau Madawaki, disclosed this situation during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Madawaki assured that Governor Dauda Lawal is actively working to clear all outstanding debts. He attributed the crisis to mismanagement by the previous administration under former Governor Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence. Madawaki’s remarks come two days after Nurudeen Salisu, Chairman of the Zamfara branch of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, expressed similar concerns about the students’ hardships.
Salisu highlighted that these young scholars embarked on their studies with the hope of gaining knowledge to contribute to their state’s future but have instead faced humiliation and disrupted academic progress. Madawaki echoed these concerns, stating that the university had already presented a bill for unpaid fees, even though many students had been barred from attending classes for nearly a year.
“The main purpose of this conference is to clarify the situation for the public, especially the parents of the affected students sent to study in Cyprus by the previous administration in 2020,” Madawaki stated. “These students were essentially abandoned at the mercy of the university authorities due to opportunistic individuals who exploited the flawed arrangement for personal gain. Currently, 88 students remain at the university, as five have already left.”
Madawaki said that upon learning of the students’ challenges, Governor Lawal immediately directed the Secretary to the State Government to communicate with the university and assess the debt situation. He alleged that the Matawalle administration had failed to uphold its financial commitments to the university, resulting in hardship for the students.
Furthermore, Madawaki noted a lack of formal documentation, such as a Memorandum of Understanding, between the previous administration and the university, which left the students vulnerable. He also mentioned that a consultant was hired to handle the admissions and travel arrangements, but this arrangement fell short in protecting the students’ welfare.
According to Madawaki, a payment of ₦84.7 million (approximately 70,000 Euros at the time) was sent to the university on November 13, 2023, as a partial tuition fee. Three days later, ₦30.9 million (around 21,573 British Pounds) was also given to the student leader, Isah Muhammed, to cover three to six months of accommodation costs.
Madawaki praised the current administration’s efforts to address these challenges, including unpaid scholarships for Zamfara students studying in India. “Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration deserves commendation for handling the embarrassment caused by the Matawalle administration,” he stated.
The Zamfara government is reportedly finalizing arrangements to cover one year of accommodation fees, six months of feeding allowances, and to renew the students’ passports and residence permits.
