Nigerian students studying under the Bilateral Education Agreement in foreign countries have decried the federal government’s non-payment of their allowances.
The students, who spoke under the auspices of the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars, called on the Minister of Education, Dr Yusuf Tunji Alausa, to review the government’s stance on the payment of their stipends.
According to them, the Federal Government owed each of them $6,720 for the years 2023 and 2024, in addition to unpaid stipends from January to April 2025.
In a recent statement posted on X, the students accused the Ministry of Education of disseminating misleading information about their welfare.
They also rejected the ministry’s claims that all previous payments had been settled and asserted that the host countries were not adequately addressing their needs.
“The assertion that host countries provide full accommodation and monthly stipends is simply false in many countries. In Morocco, for example, there is no government-provided housing. In Algeria, students get only $70 every four months — that’s not a stipend,” the statement read.
However, the government, through the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, has assured the students and other stakeholders of its commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities.
While admitting that the recent fluctuations in the foreign exchange caused the shortfalls in fund disbursements, the ministry said all supplementary allowances for Nigerian scholars have been paid up to December 2024.
The ministry further disclosed that a formal request for additional funding to ensure full payment of all entitlements to affected students has been submitted.
“Provisions for the BEA scholarship programme have been included in the Ministry’s Capital Budget. With the extension of the 2024 Capital Budget, the disbursement of funds under the 2025 Capital Budget is expected to begin once its implementation commences.
“The Ministry assures all stakeholders of its unwavering commitment to supporting Nigerian scholars abroad and is working diligently to meet all obligations under the BEA in a timely and effective manner,” the statement partly read.
Vanguard News
