The Federal Governmen has denied any knowledge of a controversial Russian work-study program linked to the production of military drones used in the war against Ukraine.
The program, known as “Alabuga Start”, has been criticized for allegedly recruiting young African women, including some under the age of 18, under false pretenses.
According to reports, participants believed they were enrolling in academic and technical training but found themselves working on drone assembly lines under hazardous conditions.
The program has been linked to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, which has been targeted by Ukrainian missile attacks.
A document posted on the website of the Ministry of Education had suggested that Nigerian youths were encouraged to apply for the scholarship.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission have both denied any connection to the program.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, has warned that any foreign national employed in Russia’s defense sector is at grave risk, given that such sites are legitimate military targets.
Nigerians have expressed outrage over the development, blaming the Federal Government for exposing youths to danger.
The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has described critics of the program as pro-Westerners, while the Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podelyshev, has claimed to have no information on the factories and plants where foreign nationals are employed.