Kaduna Scholarship Scandal: N1.3 Billion Spent, Yet Students Face Expulsion Amidst Unpaid Fees

The Kaduna State Government faces mounting scrutiny over its scholarship program after numerous state-sponsored scholars, who completed postgraduate studies abroad, have been unable to obtain their academic certificates due to outstanding tuition fees. This predicament has persisted despite the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board (KSSLB) reporting a substantial expenditure of ₦1.297 billion between January 2025 and June 2026. The situation has prompted serious questions regarding the management and disbursement of scholarship funds, particularly as foreign universities are withholding beneficiaries' certificates over alleged unpaid balances.

An analysis of budget performance documents reveals a significant disparity between allocated funds and actual spending. For the 2025 fiscal year, the KSSLB had a budget of ₦5 billion but recorded actual expenditure of only ₦863 million, representing approximately 17.3 percent. In 2026, the board's full-year budget increased to ₦7 billion, with actual expenditure reaching ₦434 million by the end of the first half (January to June). This combined spending across the 18-month period totals ₦1.297 billion. Despite these figures, documents reviewed confirm that a number of Kaduna scholarship beneficiaries remain without their postgraduate certificates due to unresolved tuition obligations.

The consequences for the affected scholars are severe and far-reaching, impacting their career progression, employment prospects, opportunities for further studies, and access to international opportunities. Many have invested considerable time, effort, and resources only to find their qualifications unusable. One applicant, an academic staff member, highlighted that the absence of a Master’s certificate has prevented consideration for an upgrade to Assistant Lecturer, halting professional advancement. Another beneficiary reported being denied access to various career and global opportunities, including scholarships, international job placements, and professional certifications requiring proof of qualification, due to the inability to secure their certificate.

Correspondence from several foreign universities underscores the gravity of the issue. A scholar who completed a one-year postgraduate program at a UK university reported an outstanding tuition balance of £12,400. Loughborough University in the UK sent a letter in May 2024 concerning an outstanding £6,700 balance, part of a total tuition fee of £19,950, warning that the student's registration would be terminated, and no certificate issued if payment was not made by August 1, 2024. Other UK institutions, including De Montfort University, Coventry University, and the University of Glasgow, are also listed with various outstanding balances ranging from £1,334.30 to £15,100 for different MSc programs.

The problem extends beyond the UK, with Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Germany directly appealing to the KSSLB. In a letter dated February 17, 2025, Professor Dr. Markus Engstler expressed "great concern" that a Kaduna State scholarship beneficiary, who had been working in his department since 2023, only received scholarship payments for 2023, with subsequent payments ceasing entirely in 2024. This directly contradicted an August 15, 2022 letter from the KSSLB promising multi-year funding until May 2027. Professor Engstler had to provide interim financial support to ensure the student's research continued and emphasized the need for €11,208 per year to be transferred into a German Blocked Account, warning against making an official statement to the German government.

Another stark instance involves De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, which issued a "Notice of Exclusion" on July 4, 2023, to a Kaduna State scholarship beneficiary over an overdue balance of £15,100. The university provisionally withdrew its Student Route sponsorship, impacting the student’s UK immigration status and threatening to report the matter to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if payment was not made within 30 days. This demonstrates the severe ramifications, extending beyond academic standing to the beneficiaries' legal right to remain and study in their host countries.

Adding to the complexity, the KSSLB itself confirmed that 16 foreign scholarship beneficiaries successfully completed a two-year internship with the state government between January 2023 and January 2025, fulfilling their bond agreements. These scholars were formally cleared of their service obligations. Yet, despite completing both their academic requirements and the state's service bond, some still cannot access their certificates, highlighting a profound disconnect between the state's commitments and its actions.

Affected scholars have made several attempts to resolve these issues, including direct correspondence with their departments, the scholarship board, and the Governor’s Office via FedEx, reportedly without receiving any response. Furthermore, sources allege that the state government, through the KSSLB, has threatened beneficiaries against publicizing their predicaments. This alleged lack of communication and attempts to suppress information exacerbate the scholars' distress and cast a shadow over the board's accountability.

The contrast between the KSSLB's reported expenditures and the continued financial distress of its scholarship beneficiaries abroad raises critical questions about the transparency and effectiveness of the fund disbursement process. Scholars are urgently appealing to the Kaduna State Government and the KSSLB to settle all outstanding tuition fees, emphasizing that their degrees, for which significant public funds have been spent, remain effectively worthless without the official certificates required for professional validation and advancement.