Marrakech – Gabon’s government has announced that starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, scholarships for studies abroad will be awarded only for priority fields while favoring strategic destinations like Morocco.
The announcement came through a statement from Elisabeth Désirée Mboumba Lassy, Director General of Gabon’s National Scholarship Agency (ANBG), broadcast on national television “Gabon 1ère.” The reform follows direct instructions from Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
Priority fields identified include raw material processing, agronomy and food security, digital technology, aeronautics, renewable energy, and medical specialties. These sectors are deemed critical for the country’s national development strategy.
Morocco has been explicitly named as a preferred destination for Gabonese scholarship students. The North African country, along with Senegal, is considered more “financially sustainable” compared to Western countries like France, Canada, and the United States.
The cost factor appears crucial in this decision. According to official figures provided by local media, the average cost per student in Morocco is CFA 5,504,000 ($9,174), while in Senegal it amounts to CFA 3,172,000 ($5,287).
These figures contrast sharply with costs in Western countries: CFA 8,505,000 ($14,175) in France, CFA 13,928,000 ($23,213) in Canada, and CFA 24,405,000 ($40,675) in the United States.
‘Those who go to the United States or Canada never come back’
President Oligui Nguema has been forthright about his concerns regarding students who study in Western countries. “Those who go to the United States or Canada never come back,” he stated, continuing that students sent to Morocco, Senegal, or Ghana are more likely to return to Gabon after completing their studies.
The reform aims to address brain drain, with the president questioning the value of providing scholarships to Gabonese students who ultimately remain abroad. According to government sources, more than 70% of Gabonese graduates from Western countries do not return to serve their nation.
The government defends this policy as responsible, patriotic, and socially just. Officials argue that financing a minority of students in countries with exorbitant living costs is economically irrational and socially unjust, as one Western scholarship equals approximately ten scholarships in countries like Morocco.
The president has announced more radical measures to take effect by 2026, stating that no scholarships will be awarded for studies in the United States, Canada, and France. This decision has generated some controversy, with former Prime Minister Bilie By Nze reportedly criticizing it as “anti-social and undemocratic.”
Gabonese authorities maintain that partner universities in Africa (Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa) provide competitive training adapted to continental realities at much lower costs. The government considers this choice “strategic realism” rather than a withdrawal.
The reform is part of a broader educational policy shift by the Committee for Transition and Renewal (CTRI). Officials state that savings from this measure will be reinvested in modernizing Gabonese universities, expanding local scholarship programs, and creating regional centers of excellence networked with Africa.
This reorientation strengthens Morocco’s position as an African educational hub, particularly in South-South relations with Central African countries.
