Around 100 Nigerian Students Stranded at Cyprus International University Due to Unpaid Tuition Fees

Reports from international media indicate that the government of Zamfara State in Nigeria has raised concerns about 93 students who are stranded at Cyprus International University in Northern Cyprus due to unpaid tuition fees.

According to Omegalive, the Nigerian government has placed the blame for the situation on the previous administration of Bello Matawalle, the current Deputy Minister of Defense. It is reported that the students' tuition fees, accommodation costs, and meal allowances were not paid to the university, leaving them in difficult conditions and deprivation.

Wadatau Madawaki, the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology in Zamfara State, stated at a press conference in Abuja that no memorandum of understanding had been established between the university and the former administration, as the students were simply left on the campus in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Additionally, it has been reported that the Zamfara State government has already made partial payments towards the outstanding tuition fees, accommodation, and other debts, covering a period of three to six months.

In 2020, the administration of former governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle financed the education of 93 residents of Zamfara to study various courses at Cyprus International University.

By 2022, the previous administration stopped funding the students' education, resulting in a large accumulation of debt. The students were not allowed to attend lectures for an entire year due to these financial issues.

As of now, only five out of the 93 students have left the TRNC. The current administration has intervened and is taking steps to resolve the issue.

It's also worth mentioning that Cyprus International University has previously been involved in a scandal related to student transportation issues.