FG abolishes BEA scholarship programme with China, Russia, other countries

The Federal Government on Tuesday abolished the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme it had with China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.

Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa announced the cancellation of the scholarship programme in Abuja, when he received the newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in his office.

He described the BEA scholarship programme as a waste of resources since Nigerian universities already offer the same courses that students were being sponsored to study abroad.

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The BEA programme, established through strong diplomatic ties and mutual cooperation, enabled Nigerian students to study in partner countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.

Despite this long-standing agreement, many beneficiaries of the BEA scholarship have repeatedly accused the Federal Government of abandonment and failure to pay their allowances, which they said made it difficult to survive and cater for themselves abroad.

In response to complaints by the scholars, the Federal Government recently clarified that all supplementary allowances due to Nigerian scholars had been paid up to December 2024.

Government also appealed for patience, noting that additional funds had been requested to settle all outstanding entitlements affected by exchange rate.

On Tuesday, however, what appeared like a thunderstorm was the announcement by the Minister of Education, Alausa, that Nigeria would discontinue the programme.

He expressed displeasure over what he described as the “blackmailing” behavior of some scholars under the scheme on social media.

Alausa said the government would redirect the funds toward domestic scholarship programmes that would benefit more students across the country.

“2024, when I assumed office, I was asked to approve N650 million for 60 students going to Morocco under the BEA programme. I refused. It’s not fair to Nigerian students,” the minister said.

“I reviewed the courses—some students went to Algeria, a French-speaking country, to study English, psychology, and sociology—courses we teach better in Nigeria.

“By the end of 2024, all outstanding scholarships will be cleared. The 2025 scholarships are pending due to the budget appropriation process.

“They will be paid in the coming months. However, we will not continue the programme beyond 2025.”

Alausa criticised the lack of academic monitoring, noting that the government covers free annual travel for scholars without tracking their performance.

“In 2025 alone, the government planned to spend N9 billion on just 1,200 students. It’s unjust to spend such a huge amount sending students abroad to study courses available locally while millions of Nigerian students receive no support,” he stated.

He added: “We have evaluated every course these 1,200 students are studying abroad—every single one is available in Nigerian universities.

“We are cancelling the BEA. It is not the best use of public funds. That money will now be used to fund local scholarships and support more students.”

The minister assured that current BEA beneficiaries would be allowed to complete their programmes, but no new admissions would be accepted under the arrangement from 2025 onward.

Earlier, the newly elected President of NANS, Olushola Oladoja, commended the minister for the significant progress made since his assumption of office.

 

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE