Nigerian Students Stranded Abroad As Government Scraps BEA Scholarship Programme
The Nigerian government on Tuesday formally announced the cancellation of Nigeria’s Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, sparking criticism from affected scholars abroad and raising fresh questions about the country’s education funding priorities.Travel guides
The BEA programme, which had enabled hundreds of Nigerian students to study in countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia through government-sponsored scholarships, has now been deemed “unsustainable and inefficient” by the Ministry of Education.Travel guides
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the factional leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the decision was a tough but necessary step toward better allocation of public resources.
“In 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,” Alausa stated.
Alausa pointed to what he described as glaring inefficiencies in the scheme, highlighting that many of the courses studied abroad — such as English, psychology, and sociology — are better taught in Nigerian 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.
The minister also criticised the lack of academic oversight and accountability in the programme.
According to him, scholars are flown abroad annually without proper monitoring of their progress.
“In 2025 alone, we projected N9 billion to fund just 1200 students abroad. Meanwhile, millions of students in Nigeria get no support. It’s unjust and unsustainable,” Alausa added.
“We have evaluated every single course these 1200 students are studying abroad—every one of them is offered in Nigerian universities.”
Despite recent assurances by the Federal Government that supplementary allowances had been paid up to December 2024 — with additional requests made to address exchange rate shortfalls — many BEA scholars remain stranded overseas due to delayed payments and unmet obligations.
A number of these students have taken to social media and written open letters over the past months, alleging neglect and pleading for urgent intervention from Nigerian authorities.
Some have reported being evicted from hostels or barred from university services due to unpaid fees.
While the government has pledged to support current BEA beneficiaries until they complete their studies, the programme will not admit new candidates from 2025 onward.
“This programme is not the best use of public funds. That money will now be used to fund local scholarships and support more students,” Alausa concluded.
