The Nigerian government has temporarily suspended the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, the suspension will last for the next five years.
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The suspension comes amid a dispute between the education ministry and the recipients of its BEA scholarship over unpaid stipends.
While the education ministry maintained that the stipends had been paid up until December 2024, the scholars maintained they are owed four-month stipends from 2023 and other differentials for 2024.
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The scholars, under the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education AGreement Scholars (UNBEAS), also said they haven’t received any stipend payment this year.
BEA suspension
The ministry of education said the decision to suspend the BEA scholarship for five years was reached after an extensive review of academic programmes abroad revealed that the courses are not accessible and often better enhanced within Nigerian institutions.
It explained that while the “five-year moratorium” on the BEA scholarship encourages local education, it does not prevent parents from privately sponsoring their children to study overseas.
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“We are currently spending more to send students abroad covering tickets, stipends, and other expenses for an education they can now access better here,” the statement quoted the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, as saying.
The government said it would only go ahead with the scholarship when partner countries offering scholarships to Nigerians agrees to provide a fully funded scholarship, covering tuition, accommodation, travel, living costs, healthcare, and a monthly allowance of at least $500 “at no cost to the Nigerian government.”
The statement added that the moratorium does not affect other scholarship programmes.
It added that existing beneficiaries of the BEA scholarship will continue to receive full government support until they complete their studies and return home.
“We stand by the promises made to our students abroad,” the minister said.
Ministry, Scholars differ on stipends payment
In a statement on 25 April, the ministry of education said the stipends due to the scholars have been paid up until December 2024.
In this same statement, the ministry acknowledged exchange rate-induced shortfalls in disbursements and promised to cover the differentials.
“To address this, the honourable minister has formally requested additional funding to cover the differentials and ensure the full remittance of entitlement to all affected students,” the statement reads.
But the students denied some of the ministry’s claims on payments.
In a statement by UNBEAS president, Bilal Aliyu, the scholars maintained they are owed four-month stipends from 2023.
The statement said the scholars are owed stipends for September to December 2023. The scholars receive a monthly stipend of $500.
It added that they are owed $1,123 in exchange rate differential for six months –March to August.
For 2024, the scholars said they received $220 stipends instead of $500 without prior notification or justification. The statement said the students were only informed of the reduction at the time of disbursement.
“As of April 2025, no stipend payments have been made for the year. Scholars across multiple countries continue to face serious financial hardship,” the statement said.
BEA Scholarship
The BEA scholarship is a diplomatic and mutual cooperation between Nigerian and some countries which enables Nigerian students to pursue academic studies in partner countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.
Through these agreements, host countries provide beneficiaries with free tuition, accommodation, and monthly stipends.
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The Nigerian government also supports the scholars with take-off grants and monthly stipends throughout the study period and return passage upon successful completion of their programmes.
However, Nigerian scholars have always lamented the delay in the payment of their stipends due by the Nigerian government.
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