State government ‘abandons’ students in Northern Cyprus

The Zamfara State government in Nigeria has allegedly abandoned about 90 scholarship students who were sent to study at the Cyprus International University in Northern Cyprus three years ago.

The students have been battling to meet their basic needs because the state stipend of NGN178,000 (now about US$114) that they received for the first six months quickly ran out. Despite repeated requests, the students have not received any subsequent food allowances and, for the past six months, many have been without accommodation.

“We have spent three years without receiving upkeep allowances ... people are dispersed, staying in mosques, with friends, or working as labourers to survive,” one student explained.

Another student said: “We’ve become like beggars, and people here regard us as beggars when we mention Zamfara. I now work with a company where I unload goods, and the work is risky because, if something is broken, they deduct it from our pay. The work has halted for more than a month now, so I’m just sitting idle because I was among those they laid off.”

In a video released earlier this year, the dire circumstances of students emerged. Students had stopped their studies because they could not pay their tuition fees.

They have not had shelter and have been sleeping in a mosque that floods during the rainy season. Due to a lack of residence permits, they have not been able to go to public hospitals or visit private doctors, according to the video.

On 18 December, one of the students in Northern Cyprus told University World News he and others were confused about their fate. This was after they heard that the Zamfara State governor said their scholarships would finally be paid, but the commissioner of education said they would be evacuated.

The government position

When contacted by University World News, Wadatau Madawaki, the commissioner for education, was not available for comment.

He did, however, tell Vanguard that the previous state administration neglected to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the institution in Northern Cyprus, contributing to the students’ mistreatment.

He said the state government was committed to fulfil all its financial obligations and resolve the problems caused by the previous government’s mishandling of the students’ sponsorships.

Dauda Lawal, the Zamfara State governor, said in another interview earlier in December that the government has now paid the scholarships of Nigerian students in India and Sudan, but has not yet paid for students in Northern Cyprus.

“On the issue of reconciliation, the school [in Northern Cyprus] is not forthcoming on the actual figure [owed] … and this has been the issue. We made it very clear that we cannot waste our little resources and money, and we need the actual balance. Once we get that, we will settle them, just like we did with other institutions,” he said.

Ongoing hardship

In the meantime, the students’ hardship has continued in the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which covers about a third of the island of Cyprus and has been occupied by Turkey since 1974.

One of the students in Northern Cyprus, a popular study destination for Nigerian students, said those who have been stranded wouldn’t accept the offer to be evacuated if the government did not help them process their transcripts and other documents necessary to enable their readmission into Nigerian higher education.

“[The government] haven’t paid any stipend, and nothing has been done up till now. [There are] no food, shelter, and nothing. There is no improvement from the government. I only have one semester left, and some have graduated and cannot collect their certificates. What will be our fate? Many students will lose out if they evacuate,” he told University World News.

He pleaded with the state government to settle with the university and pay their stipends for food and shelter so that they can continue their studies, or pay the current school fees for the purpose of obtaining the necessary documents to process their admission into institutions in Nigeria.

Students speak out

A Zamfara State-sponsored student, who asked to remain anonymous, described the dire conditions he and others have been experiencing during the past few years.

Initially expecting the state government to cover their food and accommodation costs, the students were shocked to find they had to fend for themselves.

The situation has worsened due to a lack of proper documentation, which prevents students from accessing healthcare, as they cannot obtain a residence permit or even go to a public hospital without the risk of deportation.

When state officials visited in August 2024, students hoped for a resolution, but were disappointed. “They promised to send the feeding fees but gave us only NGN25,000 (about US$16) after three years without food,” he said.

The government’s focus on school fees, while ignoring urgent needs like shelter, food and health care, has left the students in a state of anxiety. The students have not been able to progress academically.

“I am studying petroleum and natural gas engineering, but it’s turning into years,” the student said.

One of the female students sponsored by the Zamfara State government to study pharmacy in Northern Cyprus told University World News that she had to undergo surgery, but she could not go to a public hospital as she did not have a residence permit, noting that she needed to visit a doctor regularly but, due to the problem, she could not go to public hospitals, and private hospitals were expensive.

“If you want to book a doctor here, you have to pay [the equivalent] of NGN80,000 (about US$51). Our parents are less privileged, and they have no money. We are really in dire need of assistance. We [female students] have the advantage that we can’t be chased out like male students,” she said.