Russia offers 100 Cameroonian students scholarships, as previous beneficiaries wallow in neglect

The Russian Government has offered scholarships to 100 Cameroonian students to study in the country’s universities for the 2023-2024 school year.

The information is contained in a document the Ministry of External Relations forwarded to the Ministry of Higher Education recently.

The message that signed by the Minister Delegate Felix Mbayu, comes as Cameroonian students previously admitted under the same scholarship scheme decried of the government’s failure to pay their yearly stipends.

“I have the honor to inform you that the Russian Government has made available to young Cameroonian students 100 scholarships, for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Russian Party, which selects the candidates as a last resort, reiterates its willingness to cooperate with the Cameroonian Party in the allocation of the said scholarships,” Minister Mbayu wrote.

“She recalls that the main criterion in the selection process is the candidate’s academic performance, proven by a diploma and approved by an interview. All information relating to this offer as well as registrations will be made by the candidates on the official websitewww.education-in-russia.com until February 20, 2023, registration deadline.”

One Tuesday, January 17, MMI reported on what some Cameroonian students on scholarship in Russia termed neglect by the Cameroon government.

One of them said yearly stipends of about 1.8 million francs CFA, which were usually paid by the government, had not been paid for nearly three academic years.

“We are like the forgotten children and life now is horrible – not sure if we can survive the month ahead,” he had told MMI.

He said the Russia-Ukraine war made things difficult for them because job opportunities for foreign students narrowed after the West heaped several sanctions on Russia.

Mimi Mefo Info