FG discontinues BEA scheme to prioritise domestic scholarships

The federal government has discontinued the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme.

Tunji Alausa, the education minister, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during a visit by newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

Nigeria has had a bilateral education agreement/student exchange scheme with countries in Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia.

Among these countries are Russia, China, Hungary, Morocco, Venezuela, and Algeria.

Signatory countries give annual scholarship slots to Nigeria’s federal scholarship board, which then proceeds to nominate indigenous applicants by merit.

The host country undertakes to cover tuition and provide housing for the scholars while Nigeria pays the awardees a yearly allowance of $200 for health insurance, $500 annually for medicals, and $500 in monthly stipend for nutrition, books, equipment, and transport.

TheCable earlier reported how Nigeria defaulted in paying the $500 stipend for one year, leaving young students stranded abroad.

Over the years, BEA scholars have also perennially accused the federal government of abandoning them, generating media discourse that prompted the summoning of a former education minister to the national assembly.

Alausa, while meeting with NANS in Abuja, described the BEA programme as an inefficient use of public resources.

He said many of the courses pursued abroad under the scheme were readily available in Nigerian universities.

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

He expressed dissatisfaction with BEA beneficiaries, whom he claimed had resorted to social media “blackmail” over delayed allowances.

Alausa said the government would now redirect BEA funds toward domestic scholarship schemes to benefit a larger number of students.

“I reviewed the courses, some students were sent to Algeria, a French-speaking country, to study English, Psychology, and Sociology, programmes we offer better here in Nigeria,” he said.

He criticised the lack of academic oversight, revealing that scholars received free annual travel without proper performance monitoring.

“In 2025 alone, the government planned to spend N9 billion on just 1,200 students,” he said.

“That’s unjust when millions of students in Nigeria receive no support. Every single course these students are studying abroad is available in Nigerian universities.”

The federal government recently clarified that all supplementary allowances had been paid up to December 2024.

Alausa stressed that while current beneficiaries would be allowed to complete their programmes, the BEA scheme would not continue beyond 2025.

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