“I Had To Do Factory Shifts Because of Unpaid Stipends”- Scholarship Student

Today we are interviewing a medical student from Nigeria studying under the Bilateral Education Scholarship program in Russia.

The program has been discontinued and students already on this scholarship have complained and cried out tirelessly due to lack of payments of stipends from the Nigerian government. 

Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I’m currently based in Moscow, but I have spent most of my life in Nigeria. I boarded my flight to Russia in 2022. 

What brought you to Russia?

I had just won a scholarship through the Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) between Russia and Nigeria. The arrangement looked perfect on paper. The Russian government would cover my heavy medical school tuition, and the Nigerian government promised a steady monthly stipend for my living expenses. All I had to do was focus on my studies and pass my exams.

So, what happened?

For me, for  a short while, the system worked. Then 2023 rolled around, and intervals between payments started becoming longer. We went from expecting our regular monthly upkeep to waiting over 13 agonizing months with absolutely zero financial support. When the funds finally did come  in, our allowances had been brutally slashed.

Wait, over 13 months with no money? How did you survive?

Hmm, life quickly became survival of the fittest and the wisest. It was a tough decision but I had to find something to do. My command of the language was not strong enough so it was quite difficult at first. 

I also understood that dropping out or failing was simply not an option, medical school was already difficult and adding a job felt terrible.

Living thousands of miles away from home without a financial safety net fundamentally changes a person. I went from being a dedicated medical student to doing whatever it took to cover my expenses and have food. My weeks became a blur of extreme exhaustion.

What kind of jobs were you doing?

I became the jack of all trades from factory shifts to washing mountains of dishes in restaurants until my fingers wrinkled and cracked. I washed cars in summer and spent my remaining free hours teaching English to Russian kids. I was working multiple manual labor jobs just to stay afloat.

How did that affect your mental health?

The mental impact of that kind of financial anxiety is heavy. You wake up calculating and go to bed wondering if you will have enough for the bus fare to the factory the next morning.

You watch your peers resting or studying while you are exhausted from a night shift. The system we trusted had abandoned us entirely. I remember one time it was so difficult, I was 100% sure I was going to fail in school. I cannot fully explain it but it’s a different kind of battle.

No matter how much I describe the situation only someone who has been in my shoes will understand. 

Did you get any help from home?

Yes, but not often because things are also not perfect back home. This is what actually saved me sometimes. Hardship reveals exactly how resilient you are and how vital a reliable support system back home truly is.

How did they send the money?

That is where the reality of cross-border money transfers hits home. When you are stranded in a foreign country, you do not have the patience for delayed transfers or someone taking your money for granted.

E-Solutions became the lifeline for me and others, even private students that had this as their major routine. It allowed my family to send whatever small amounts they could gather, and the money arrived instantly without being swallowed by outrageous exchange rates.

Are you still in school now?

Yes o, I have no choice but to keep pushing now that I have already reached half way. I’m now working as a part-time English teacher at an international middle school in Moscow to pay the bills. I still do some menial jobs sometimes, especially in summer between my regular English camps.

What would your advice be to students in a similar situation?

One thing this period has taught me is that nothing lasts forever and this is with respect to difficult and even beautiful circumstances.

Seasons change and they come to test our ability to adapt. One thing I have also realised by living in this country is that there is dignity in labor. Many jobs that people from back home look down on are done here with pride and dignity. So please, don’t let anyone look down on your hustle. Just focus on surviving and doing well for yourself.