Ukrainian envoy urges Nigerian students affected by war to reject Russian offers

It is morally wrong for Nigerian students whose education was disrupted by the war in Ukraine to look to continue in Russia, a Ukrainian official has said.

The Ukraine Special Envoy for Africa and the Middle East, Maksym Subhk, stated this while visiting Nigeria.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, he urged “Nigerian students not to go to Russia to continue their study because Russia was behind the interruption of their study.”

“It is both morally wrong and it is a matter of moral values, I should say,” he added.

Thousands of Nigerian students studying in Ukraine have had their studies interrupted due to the invasion of the country by Russia. Hundreds of people have been killed and millions displaced since the war started in February.

Mr Subkh said there have been offers from Russia to students affected by the Ukraine war. He urged the students to reject such officers.

He said the affected students had become patriots of both Nigeria and Ukraine as they understand what is behind the aggression.

He said Ukraine is trying to offer alternatives for students to be able to continue their studies, including in neighbouring countries it has bilateral ties with.

Additionally, part of his visit to Nigeria was to get Nigerian authorities to accept the online studying and certificates received from that form of learning.

“We would urge the Government of Nigeria to recognise online studying as a kind of programme which is accredited by the Government of Ukraine,” Mr Subkh said.

He said the online programmes would allow the students to complete their studies which they already commenced physically before the war.

The full interview will be published by PREMIUM TIMES soon.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.

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