Nigerian students on the Federal Government’s Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship programme, alongside their parents, are holding a protest today over months of unpaid stipends that have left many stranded abroad.
According to a notice issued by the Forum of BEA Scholars, the demonstration is scheduled for 10am at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja’s Central District. Parents say they have reached their limit emotionally and financially and will join the protest to demand urgent action.
The scholars noted that they are entitled to a monthly allowance of $500 but have received no payments this year, leaving an 11-month backlog. They also reported that their 2024 stipends were slashed by 56 per cent, with only $220 paid instead of the approved $500. In addition, arrears from September to December 2023 remain outstanding.
Students studying in Hungary, Morocco, China, Russia and Serbia said the prolonged delay has made it difficult to afford basic needs such as food, accommodation, medical care and transportation. The Forum revealed that some scholars have taken informal jobs in breach of their scholarship terms, while others now rely on charity to survive. The group also linked the recent death of a Nigerian student in Morocco to the hardships caused by the unpaid allowances.
Earlier this year, the Federal Government announced the cancellation of the BEA scholarship programme, describing it as unsustainable. The decision followed months of complaints from stranded scholars who accused the government of failing to meet its obligations.
The BEA scheme, created through agreements with countries including China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt and Serbia, has supported hundreds of Nigerian students in pursuing higher education overseas.
Despite government claims that supplementary allowances had been cleared up to December 2024, with additional funds requested to cover shortfalls caused by exchange-rate fluctuations, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, confirmed that the programme has been discontinued.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students, he defended the decision, saying BEA funding would be redirected to domestic scholarships to support more students.
“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.
He criticised the lack of monitoring within the scheme, pointing out that the government finances yearly travel for scholars without tracking their performance.
“In 2025 alone, we projected N9bn to fund just 1,200 students abroad. Meanwhile, millions of students in Nigeria get no support. It’s unjust and unsustainable,” he stated. “We have evaluated every single course these 1,200 students are studying abroad—every one of them is offered in Nigerian universities.”
Alausa confirmed that current beneficiaries would be supported until they complete their studies, but no new students will be admitted into the programme after 2025. He emphasised that funds will now go toward strengthening local scholarship opportunities.
By May 2025, the minister revealed that 85 per cent of government-sponsored students abroad never returned to contribute to national development. He also announced that tertiary institutions with fewer than 2,000 students would no longer receive TETFund support.
The shift away from foreign sponsorships has left several BEA scholars stranded in their host countries, with many still awaiting payments owed to them.
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