The Federal Government has officially ended the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, describing it as wasteful and poorly managed. The decision was made public during a meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu-Tunji Alausa, and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Dr. Alausa explained that the government could no longer justify spending billions to send a small number of students abroad to study courses already available in Nigerian universities. He revealed that in 2025 alone, N9 billion was budgeted for just 1,200 students under the BEA. According to him, this was not a fair or efficient use of public funds, especially when millions of students within Nigeria lack support.
The Minister cited an example from 2024, when he was asked to approve N650 million for 60 students heading to Morocco. He declined, noting that several students were going to French-speaking countries like Algeria to study subjects such as English, Psychology, and Sociology—programmes Nigeria already offers with better standards.
He criticised the scheme’s lack of accountability, pointing out that while the government covers travel and tuition, it does not monitor students’ academic progress. Dr. Alausa added that all ongoing beneficiaries would be allowed to finish their studies, but no new students would be admitted into the programme from 2025 onwards.
While he acknowledged that past recipients had voiced complaints about being neglected during their time abroad, he urged students to use formal channels for communication instead of social media, which he said had been used to pressure the government unfairly.
The Minister assured the public that all pending stipends had been paid up to December 2024, and further funds were being sourced to cover any shortfalls caused by currency changes. He stated that money previously allocated for foreign studies would now be directed to local scholarships to reach more students nationwide.
NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, expressed support for the decision and commended the Education Ministry’s reforms under Dr. Alausa’s leadership.
