Nigeria scraps BEA scholarship with beneficiaries stranded abroad

Alausa

The Federal Government on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship programme, describing it as an unsustainable and inefficient use of public funds.

The decision follows months of complaints by stranded Nigerian scholars abroad who accused the government of failing to meet its financial obligations under the scheme.

Established through diplomatic agreements with countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia, the BEA programme had allowed hundreds of Nigerian students to pursue higher education overseas on government sponsorship.

Despite recent assurances by the Federal Government that all supplementary allowances had been paid up to December 2024—with further funds requested to cover outstanding entitlements affected by exchange rate fluctuations—the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced a definitive end to the programme.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Alausa said the government would redirect BEA funding to domestic scholarship programmes to reach a broader number of students across the country.

“In 2024, when I assumed office, I was asked to approve N650m for 60 students going to Morocco under the BEA programme. I refused. It’s not fair to Nigerian students,” Alausa said.

The minister cited examples of students studying disciplines like English, psychology, and sociology in countries where those subjects are not taught in Nigeria’s primary languages, arguing that such programmes are more efficiently and effectively delivered by local universities.

“I reviewed the courses—some students went to Algeria, a French-speaking country, to study English. That is simply illogical. These are courses we teach better in Nigeria,” he said.

Alausa also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of oversight and performance monitoring under the BEA, noting that the government sponsors annual travel for scholars without tracking their academic progress.