The North West Development Commission (NWDC) has officially announced the cancellation of its foreign scholarship scheme, citing a new directive from the Federal Government that prioritises investment in local educational institutions.
In a statement issued by the commission’s management on Thursday, the NWDC said the decision aligns with recent guidance from the Federal Ministry of Education, which calls for the redirection of educational development resources toward strengthening domestic capacity.
“In line with the federal government’s recent directive to prioritise local education in Nigeria, the North West Development Commission announces the cancellation of applications for foreign scholarships,” the statement read.
This policy shift is coming barely three days after reports emerged of an internal crisis within the commission, allegedly linked to disagreements over the management and structure of the scholarship programme.
The Federal Ministry of Education had on Wednesday, May 7, issued a circular signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Boriowo Folasade, directing federal and regional agencies to halt funding for overseas educational schemes and channel such resources into improving schools, teacher training, and educational infrastructure within Nigeria.
“The Ministry is committed to building indigenous educational capacity, and as such, all programmes involving foreign education funding should be reviewed or suspended in favour of local alternatives,” the ministry stated.
The NWDC reaffirmed its commitment to aligning its programmes with national development goals and assured stakeholders that alternative educational initiatives would be introduced to support students in the region.
“We remain dedicated to our core mandate of human capital development in the North West and will be announcing new local education-focused programmes in due course,” the commission added.
