Monrovia — The much-publicized NEKOTEH Scholarship program, touted as a US$25 million initiative to help Liberian students pursue higher education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the United States and Canada, is now at the center of a growing controversy.
Despite being launched with great fanfare by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on November 7, 2024, questions about its transparency, legitimacy, and financial credibility are mounting, leaving many to wonder whether it is truly the life-changing opportunity it was marketed to be.
Initially, the program was heralded as a "no-collateral loan scheme," a promising development for young Liberians seeking higher education abroad. The government promised that it would empower over 250 students through the partnership with NEKOTEH, an organization working to provide access to education and training for future leaders in the fields of STEM and AI.
However, applicants have reported facing a series of unexpected fees and requirements that contradict the government's claim.
"The fees are excessive," said one applicant, who spoke under the condition of anonymity. "I had to pay US$236 for a readiness fee, US$400 for an English test, and now they are asking for a bank statement showing US$40,000. This is nothing like the no-collateral loan scheme we were told about."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education initially described the program as a no-collateral loan scheme, but applicants have found that they are being asked to pay fees upfront and show significant financial backing before being considered for the scholarship. These demands are raising questions about the program's transparency and its true intent.
Activist Martin Kollie has become one of the most vocal critics of the program, accusing the Liberian government of being misled by NEKOTEH. In a post on his official social media account on November 13, Kollie said, "Foreign Affairs Minister Sara Beyslow Nyanti and the Ministry of Education have misled President Boakai on the actual intent of the scholarship benefiting certain individuals based in Ghana." He further claimed that NEKOTEH is a fraudulent operation, stating, "Nekotech rarely has money in their USD accounts. How can they provide a US$25M loan?"
Kollie's allegations do not stop there. He questioned the financial integrity of NEKOTEH, accusing the organization's owner, a self-identified pastor, of being incapable of securing the promised loan.
"The so-called pastor who owns Nekotech does not even have US$30K in her account," Kollie stated. "How can she provide a US$25 million loan to Liberians for scholarships?" Kollie's accusations have intensified the already growing skepticism surrounding the program.
The controversy took another turn when the Ministry of Education removed the application link for the NEKOTEH Scholarship from its website. When reached for comment on the matter, Maxim Blatehn from the Ministry of Education declined to speak, stating, "I cannot speak to the matter at the moment, as the Ministry has not given me official authorization." However, sources within the Ministry suggested that the link was taken down to allow time for clarification and ratification of the program's details. One source indicated that the Ministry had been misled into believing the program did not require upfront fees, only to discover that it was a partial scholarship with various associated costs.
"Some information needs to be clarified before we can republish the link," the source said on condition of anonymity. "We were under the impression that the program was fully covered, but it turns out to be a hybrid model with fees that applicants must pay upfront."
As the Ministry scrambles to address these concerns, the true nature of the NEKOTEH Scholarship is becoming increasingly unclear. In its current form, the scholarship appears to be a hybrid financial aid program that combines partial funding and no-collateral loans with upfront fees for training and application processing. While it does not require collateral, the additional fees for English tests, readiness training, and a significant bank balance contradict the initial claims of a fully funded opportunity.
NEKOTEH's admissions head, Rosemary Ayiku, defended the program when contacted by FrontPageAfrica, dismissing concerns with a curt response. "Watch this video call [Steven's] and find out if it's real or not," she said in a WhatsApp message. "Also, don't pay for your readiness until you are ok, then there will be no scam discussion." However, her dismissive tone has done little to quell the growing fears that the scholarship may indeed be a scam.
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This scandal is eerily reminiscent of a similar initiative during the regime of former President George Weah when a US$1 billion scholarship loan program with NEKOTEH failed to deliver any tangible results. Promised scholarships for STEM and AI education in the U.S. and Canada were never realized, and many Liberians were left frustrated after paying significant fees for a program that never came to fruition.
Given the history and the ongoing issues with the NEKOTEH Scholarship, many are questioning the government's due diligence in vetting this initiative. "The government has exposed our already vulnerable population to online scams," Kollie concluded. "We have seen this before, and it is heartbreaking to see this happening again."
As the Ministry of Education works to clarify the program's details, many Liberians are left to wonder whether the NEKOTEH Scholarship will ultimately prove to be another failed promise or a genuine opportunity for students to pursue higher education. Until the government provides clear answers, trust in the program and the institutions promoting it continues to erode.
