Nigeria spends about N1 billion annually on scholarship for foreign students studying in the country, the Director, Federal Scholarship Board, Hindatu Abdullahi, has said.

Ms. Abdullahi said in Abuja on Thursday that government spends the amount on the programme as “reciprocal scholarship” for the students concerned.

She said the scholarship is part of the Bilateral Education Agreements, BEA, programme between Nigeria and some other countries.

The director said that as part of the agreement, Nigeria bears the cost of tuition, accommodation and a little supplementation for the students.

The countries, Ms. Abdullahi said, are India, Turkey, Russia, Cuba, China, Japan, Algeria, Ukraine, Romania, Syria, Czech Republic and Egypt.

She said that many Nigerians are also studying in those countries.

“Their host countries are also expected to pay for accommodation, tuition and allowances.

“The country is also expected to provide for their warm clothing allowance, 500 dollars monthly allowance and 1,000 dollars as research allowance for final year students,” Ms.  Abdullahi said.

She also said that when admitted to institutions in those countries, Nigeria caters for their travel expenses, all administrative works and health insurance.

NAN