Parents of Zamfara State students studying on government scholarships at Cyprus International University are urgently appealing to Governor Dauda Lawal to help their children, who are struggling due to unpaid fees.
Sponsored by a previous administration, 93 students were sent to Cyprus to further their education, but now face difficult conditions after being removed from their accommodations and cut off from essential university services due to the debt.
One father, who requested anonymity, expressed frustration at the treatment his child and other students endure. “When the previous government sent our children abroad, we believed everything would run smoothly. Recently, however, our children were evicted from their accommodations, and it became clear there were issues,” he told DAILY TRUST.
To survive, some students have resorted to taking low-paying jobs, impacting their focus on education.
Another parent criticized the current government for not resolving the debt more swiftly, questioning how long their children would remain in hardship.
He said, “It is unfortunate that the successive government in Zamfara State has failed to upset the money the students owed the university. Though, the government has claimed to have been making efforts towards addressing the problem, for how long will it address it?
“We expect the government to adopt some emergency and proactive measures that will cushion the effects of the sufferings our children are facing, while at the same time making frantic efforts to settle the outstanding debts they owe the university.
“Unfortunately, the Governor Dauda Lawal-led administration has remained silent while our children continue to suffer in a country where they have no one to assist them. We are calling on Governor Lawal to rescue our children by upsetting their debts.”
The Zamfara Circle Community Initiative, a local non-governmental organization, has joined the parents’ calls for action. Dr. Aminu Lawal, the chairman of the initiative, requested that the state government provide necessary funds to cover basic expenses and renew the students’ visas and passports to avoid deportation risks.
In response, the governor’s spokesman, Sulaiman Bala Idris, acknowledged the issue and shared that the administration had addressed similar situations for Zamfara students in other countries, including arranging for 66 nursing students to be evacuated from Sudan. The state, he added, has already made significant payments to Cyprus International University, though communication difficulties have prevented immediate solutions.
A Zamfara delegation, together with Nigerian diplomats in Turkey, met with university officials in August 2024 to discuss the students’ problems, including eviction threats and limited access to food. Ongoing diplomatic efforts are now focused on obtaining documentation to fully settle the debt and restore the students’ access to essential university resources.
“Since the delegation returned, the Zamfara State Government has been awaiting communication from Cyprus International University regarding the actual payment needed to end the quagmire.
“The Nigerian Foreign Mission in Ankara has been actively working to encourage the Cyprus Diplomatic Mission to press Cyprus International University for the necessary official documents. We are hopeful that this diplomatic intervention will help to compel the university to do the right thing without any further complications,” he said.
