THE Federal Government has raised hope for the Nigerian students evacuated from Ukraine following the Russia/Ukraine war, as efforts are on to secure placement for them in Nigerian universities.

According to the country representative, Ukrainian Universities in Nigeria, Dr Cliff Ogbeide, over 12,000 Nigerians are on studies in various Ukrainian universities.

The Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), however, revealed that the Federal Government had evacuated a total of 1,300 stranded Nigerians, mostly students, from Ukraine through Hungary, Poland, Romania and Greece, since Russia launched  war against Ukraine on February 24. Most of the evacuated students are faced with bleak future. The public universities that could easily absorb them have been under locks and key as a result of strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

However, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr David Andrew Adejo, said arrangements are being worked out to find placements for them.

The minister stated this in Abuja while speaking with newsmen on the status of Nigerian students in Ukraine.

According to him, the ministry is interfacing with the foreign affairs to gather information on the students and sort for placements for them in the Nigerian university system.

Some  of the students and their parents said that they opted for studies in Ukraine due to its comparatively lower tuition fees and to avoid the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)’s strike and uncertainties that might affect their studies.