The Federal Government has dismissed as false and misleading a viral social media notice claiming that the National Award Scholarship Programme has been suspended and the Federal Scholarship Board dissolved.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Federal Ministry of Education clarified that no directive suspending scholarship programmes was issued by the Ministry.

According to the Ministry, the Federal Scholarship Board has only been renamed the Department of Scholarship Awards (DSA), while its responsibilities and functions remain unchanged.

The Ministry reassured students, parents, and scholarship beneficiaries that all recognised Federal Government scholarship programmes remain active and uninterrupted nationwide.

It, however, explained that the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme was discontinued after a policy review aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s local tertiary education system.

The Ministry stressed that the decision does not affect local scholarship schemes, including the Nigerian Scholarship Awards, Federal Government Bursary for Education students, and the Presidential Scholarship for former NYSC corps members.

It further assured that students currently benefiting from the BEA programme will continue to receive full government support until they complete their studies.

The Ministry also condemned the circulation of the fake notice, warning that misinformation capable of creating panic and confusion among students and families should be disregarded.

The statement was signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade. (The Guardian)