The Federal Government has pledged to clear outstanding payments owed to Nigerian students affected by the suspended Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship program, promising to release a total of N8 billion to settle beneficiaries studying abroad.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he explained that the government had already released N4 billion while another N4 billion would be approved within the next two weeks.
According to the minister, the payment is meant to address the hardship faced by many Nigerian students overseas following months of unpaid allowances and tuition obligations.
“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,” Alausa said.
The minister also defended the Federal Government’s decision to cancel the BEA scholarship scheme, saying investigations uncovered widespread abuse, financial waste and fraudulent practices that had undermined the original purpose of the program.
According to him, one of the first official files he reviewed after assuming office exposed serious irregularities in the administration of the scholarship scheme.
Alausa revealed that he was asked to approve N650 million to sponsor only 60 students to Morocco under the program, but became alarmed after examining the courses selected for the students.
“650 million for 60 students? And as I was looking at the courses that were going to go to Morocco, we have Nigerian scholarship given to a student that will go study English in Morocco, a French-speaking country,” he said.
The minister added that several of the approved courses were not in specialized fields originally intended for the scheme.
According to him, courses such as psychology, sociology, zoology and botany were among those listed for overseas sponsorship despite being available in Nigerian universities.
Alausa explained that the BEA program was originally created as a diplomatic arrangement between Nigeria and foreign countries to support specialized education and technical training that was not easily available locally.
The program was established through bilateral agreements between Nigeria and countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt and Serbia.
Under the arrangement, Nigerian students were sponsored to study specialised courses such as engineering, medicine, aeronautics and other technical fields abroad.
However, the minister said the program gradually lost focus and became more like a general overseas education sponsorship scheme.
He said investigations also revealed that some beneficiaries of the scholarship were simultaneously enrolled in Nigerian universities while receiving government funds meant for foreign studies.
“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 stated.
The Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship program has for years been one of the Federal Government’s major foreign scholarship schemes.
Hundreds of Nigerian students benefited from the program annually, especially those studying in Eastern Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.
However, complaints over delayed payments and poor welfare support became more common in recent years.
The crisis affecting the students reportedly worsened between September 2023 and August 2024 when beneficiaries said they received no payments from the government for almost one year.
Many students abroad complained that they were unable to pay accommodation fees, buy food or meet basic living expenses.
Some students reportedly faced eviction from hostels, while others said they were denied access to school facilities because of unpaid tuition fees.
Although a payment was eventually made in September 2024, several students said their monthly stipends had been reduced by more than 56 per cent.
Reports indicated that allowances previously pegged at about 220 dollars were significantly slashed, worsening the financial difficulties of many students already struggling with rising living costs in foreign countries.
The Federal Government formally cancelled the BEA scholarship scheme in April 2025, a decision that affected more than 1,200 Nigerian students studying abroad.
The government argued at the time that many of the courses sponsored under the scheme could already be studied in Nigerian universities and that public funds needed to be redirected to strengthen local institutions.
Officials also maintained that continuing the programme in its existing form was no longer financially sustainable.
The cancellation sparked reactions from affected students and parents, many of whom accused the government of abandoning students already enrolled overseas.
Some students appealed to the government to at least complete sponsorship obligations for existing beneficiaries before ending the programme entirely.
The suspension of the scheme continued into 2026 despite the appearance of a fresh N1.7 billion allocation for the programme in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
The government later clarified that the budgetary provision was only a procedural rollover linked to existing financial obligations and not a reversal of the decision to cancel the scholarship scheme.
While some experts support the decision to end what they describe as wasteful overseas sponsorships, others argue that Nigeria still needs foreign training partnerships in specialised areas where local capacity remains weak.
The Federal Government has in recent years pushed for reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s education sector and reducing dependence on foreign institutions.
Authorities have repeatedly stated that more investment is needed in local universities, research institutions and technical education.
The government also believes strengthening Nigerian universities will reduce the pressure on students seeking education abroad.
However, many Nigerian students still pursue foreign education opportunities because of frequent strikes, inadequate infrastructure and concerns over the quality of education in some local institutions.
The issue of scholarship funding has also become more sensitive because of Nigeria’s broader economic challenges, including rising inflation, foreign exchange shortages and increasing public debt.
With many families struggling under economic pressure, several parents rely heavily on government scholarships to support their children’s education abroad.
For affected students, the government’s latest promise to release the outstanding N8 billion may bring some relief after months of uncertainty and financial hardship.
Many beneficiaries are now expected to closely monitor whether the promised payments are fully released within the timeline announced by the Minister of Education.
The controversy surrounding the BEA program has also renewed debate over transparency, accountability and proper management of public funds in Nigeria’s education sector.