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• FG denies endorsing programme
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
Fresh concerns have emerged over the recruitment of Nigerian women into Russia’s controversial Alabuga Start programme following reports alleging that the scheme, which promises education and employment opportunities abroad, has been used to channel recruits into drone manufacturing while exposing some participants to exploitation and abuse.
Investigations by international and Nigerian media organisations indicate that the programme recruits young Nigerian women through social media campaigns and local travel agencies, despite Nigerian authorities insisting they never endorsed the initiative.
The latest concerns follow a report by the Daily Mail alleging that one of the programme’s senior recruiters, Konstantin Trifonov, was linked to Telegram channels associated with child sexual abuse.
The newspaper said the allegations were uncovered through an investigation into a Telegram account linked to Trifonov. The allegations have not been independently verified by this newspaper.
The development has renewed international scrutiny of the Alabuga Start programme, which operates from the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, Russia.
The programme is promoted as an education-and-employment initiative for women aged between 18 and 22, offering monthly salaries of between $500 and $700, accommodation, travel support and Russian language training.
However, a BBC investigation reported that many recruits who applied for jobs in hospitality, catering and other sectors were instead assigned to work in a drone manufacturing factory producing military equipment.
A 2024 report estimated that more than 1,000 African women had already been recruited into the programme, with additional recruitment continuing across the continent.
In Nigeria, investigations by Premium Times and ZAM Magazine reported that recruitment into the programme has been carried out through social media campaigns and local travel and employment agencies operating under cooperation agreements with Alabuga Start.
The reports identified Mercy of Success Konsultancy, operated by Adeleke Olowatobi, as one of the agencies recruiting Nigerians under a memorandum of understanding with the Alabuga Special Economic Zone.
Another travel company, Topklass Erasco Travels and Tours, headed by Cynthia Orah, was also reported to have promoted the programme through social media, including TikTok, where recruitment advertisements were posted to prospective applicants.
The reports further revealed that information about the Alabuga scholarship programme appeared on the website of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education between 2022 and 2025.
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However, Nigeria’s Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) has distanced itself from the programme.
The Director of the FSB, Ndajiwo Asta, reportedly said the ministry never approved or endorsed Alabuga Start.
“Whatever is on the website was made by fraudulent persons trying to use the ministry. We have never issued any statement endorsing Alabuga,” Asta was quoted as saying.
He also clarified that although Nigeria has a Bilateral Education Agreement with Russia that supports Nigerian students studying in Russian universities, the Alabuga Start programme is not covered by that arrangement.
The latest controversy centres on Trifonov, a senior human resources specialist with Alabuga Start who has travelled extensively across Africa promoting the programme in countries including Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
In May this year, the United Kingdom sanctioned Trifonov over his role in recruiting foreign workers for the Alabuga programme, imposing an asset freeze and travel ban.
According to the Daily Mail, a Telegram account linked to Trifonov allegedly participated in several channels promoting child sexual abuse material, including groups identified as “School 69/Young Girls” and “Kindergarten Cookie.”
The newspaper reported that while the Telegram account was personal and it was unclear whether anyone else had access to it, its analysis suggested significant engagement with explicit illegal content.
The allegations have intensified concerns already raised by former participants and human rights organisations over conditions within the programme.
Former recruits interviewed by international media alleged that some participants who lost their placements became stranded in Russia, while others claimed they experienced racism, intimidation and exploitative working conditions.
Earlier recruitment campaigns in Uganda reportedly accepted applicants as young as 13 before the programme increased its minimum recruitment age to 18 in 2023, prompting additional concerns about the protection of vulnerable young women.
The reports have renewed calls for prospective applicants across Africa, including Nigeria, to exercise caution when responding to overseas job offers advertised through social media or private recruitment agencies, particularly where the nature of the work cannot be independently verified.
The Alabuga Start programme has continued to attract international attention as Russia expands overseas recruitment amid its ongoing war with Ukraine.
