President Bola Tinubu’s administration has allegedly authorised a secret scholarship program. This program sends Nigerian highschool graduates to vocational coaching in Russia. The coaching is related to factories that make suicide drones, Folks Gazette stories.
In 2023, the Federal Ministry of Schooling launched an advert inviting Nigerian graduates to hitch a coaching venture at Alabuga Polytechnic Faculty in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan.
The advert stated:
“That is to tell all certified Nigerian candidates aged 18-22, holding O’Degree certificates, that the Particular Financial Zone of Alabuga provides admission and vocational coaching ‘Alabuga Begin’ for the 2023/2024 Educational Session.”
The coaching contains industrial robotics, microelectronics, industrial automation, BIM design, and chemistry.
Alabuga is Russia’s largest industrial particular financial zone. It’s identified for factories that produce Iranian-designed suicide drones for the Russian army. These factories began producing drones quickly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
A 2025 report by the International Initiative In opposition to Transnational Organized Crimes confirmed that over 300 girls, principally from Africa and Latin America, have been recruited. They joined underneath the promise of a “work-study program” however ended up working in drone factories.
In accordance with The Related Press, some African girls have been instructed they might prepare in hospitality and catering. As a substitute, they labored assembling hundreds of assault drones utilized in Ukraine.
The AP wrote,
“To fill a labor scarcity, the Kremlin recruited girls from international locations together with Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and others. These younger, usually inexperienced employees, labored alongside Russian vocational college students on the Alabuga Particular Financial Zone.”
Ukraine has focused the Alabuga facility as a result of it makes drones. Many younger Africans working there have been harm as a result of harmful situations.
The drone program additionally made drones for Iran. These drones have been reportedly used to assault Israel and U.S. pursuits. Because the 2023 Hamas assault on Israel, Russia’s relationship with Israel has develop into tense, affecting ties between President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Efforts to get a remark from Nigerian presidential aide Bayo Onanuga about Nigeria’s place on supporting Russia went unanswered.