The Federal Government says it will pay a total of N8 billion in outstanding obligations owed to Nigerian students affected by the discontinued Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television, explaining that the government had already released N4 billion while the remaining N4 billion would be approved within the next two weeks.
According to him, the payment is aimed at settling students stranded abroad following months of delays and funding challenges linked to the now-scrapped scholarship scheme.
Alausa said the BEA programme, originally created to strengthen diplomatic and educational cooperation between Nigeria and partner countries, had become heavily abused over the years.
“We’ve paid four billion of it. We’re disbursing the four billion now. This additional four billion will be approved. I’ve been in constant communication with Minister of Finance. It will be approved in the next two weeks. They will be settled,” he said.
The minister revealed that one of the first files presented to him after assuming office involved a request to approve N650 million for 60 students travelling to Morocco.
He questioned several of the courses listed under the programme, including English studies in a French-speaking country.
Questions Over Course Relevance
According to Alausa, many of the programmes funded under the scholarship no longer reflected the original purpose of the initiative.
The minister said the BEA was initially intended to support specialized training in critical fields such as engineering, medicine, aeronautics, and science-related disciplines.
However, he alleged that the scheme gradually turned into a broad overseas education sponsorship programme covering courses that could easily be studied within Nigeria.
He listed subjects such as psychology, sociology, zoology, and botany among examples that raised concerns during the government’s internal review.
Allegations of Fraud and Double Enrollment
The Education Minister also disclosed that some beneficiaries were simultaneously enrolled in Nigerian universities while still receiving scholarship funds meant for foreign studies.
He described the situation as unacceptable and one of the reasons the government decided to discontinue the programme.
“We also had incidences of kids that got this scholarship that they’re studying in Nigerian universities, getting the money. So, we stopped it,” he added.
The BEA scholarship programme operated through bilateral agreements between Nigeria and countries including China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.
Over the years, hundreds of Nigerian students were sponsored to study abroad under the initiative.
However, payment delays reportedly became severe between 2023 and 2024, with many students complaining of unpaid stipends, accommodation problems, and restrictions from accessing university services.
Some beneficiaries reportedly faced eviction from hostels due to outstanding fees.
The Federal Government officially scrapped the programme in April 2025, affecting more than 1,200 Nigerian students studying overseas.
Concerns Over Rising Education Costs
The controversy surrounding the BEA scheme has also triggered broader conversations about Nigeria’s education funding priorities and scholarship management systems.
Analysts say while the government’s concerns over transparency and accountability may be valid, the sudden suspension of funding created serious hardship for students already enrolled abroad.
Education stakeholders have also called for reforms that prioritize merit, transparency, and strategic national needs in future scholarship programmes.
Meanwhile, the government clarified that a N1.7 billion allocation included in the 2026 Appropriation Bill was merely a procedural rollover and not a revival of the cancelled programme.
