FG: Varsities have offered to admit Nigerian students returning from Sudan

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), says universities in the country have made offers to admit Nigerian students returning from Sudan.

Dabiri-Erewa spoke on Thursday on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV programme.

Although she said the safe return of the stranded students was the priority at the moment, she assured that the continuance of their education would not be a problem.

The NiDCOM chair said the federal government had ensured students who were evacuated from Ukraine continued their studies and would replicate the process with those returning from Sudan.

“We did it with Ukraine, when they came back, there were plans to continue education for them,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

“Although the medical students among them had issues because they found out that the level of their medical school was not even as high as that of Nigeria so it was difficult to place them where they wanted. But, yes, the ministry of foreign affairs actually created a division for that and ensured that those who wanted to continue their education did. A lot of them wanted to go back.

“Let them (the ones from Sudan) come back, let us receive them safely and then we take it. In fact, universities are already offering and have reached out to us that when they do come back and they want to continue their education, they should contact them, so all that shouldn’t be a problem at all.

“I think the number one problem is that you cannot be talking about continuing your education if you’re not safe so our focus and our anxiety is that all Nigerian students come back.

“President Buhari has approved funds so everything is done 24/7. So the first thing for us at this point in time is for them to reunite with their families. The issue of education shouldn’t be a problem.”

On Wednesday, buses arrived to evacuate Nigerian students amid the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

NiDCOM said the buses will take the students to the Egyptian border from where they will be airlifted to Nigeria.