The Federal Government has officially scrapped the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme with seven countries; China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.
Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, announced the cancellation on Tuesday during a meeting with the newly elected leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Abuja. According to the minister, the programme is no longer justifiable, as Nigerian universities already offer the same courses students were being funded to study abroad.
The BEA initiative, previously rooted in long-standing diplomatic partnerships, enabled Nigerian students to study in the listed countries under mutual educational cooperation. However, Dr. Alausa described the scheme as an inefficient use of public funds, revealing that in 2024 alone, he was asked to approve N650 million for just 60 students heading to Morocco—a request he rejected.
The minister further criticised the scheme’s structure, citing instances where students were sent to countries like Algeria to study English, psychology, and sociology—courses readily available and better taught in Nigeria. He also raised concerns over poor academic supervision, stating that students were sponsored with free annual travel without any monitoring of their academic progress.
“In 2025 alone, the government had budgeted N9 billion for 1,200 students studying abroad. That’s not fair when millions of Nigerian students receive no support,” Alausa said. “We have evaluated the courses being studied under the BEA. Every one of them is available in Nigerian universities. This is not the best use of public funds.”
While confirming the discontinuation of the programme beyond 2025, the minister assured that current BEA beneficiaries would be allowed to complete their studies. However, no new admissions will be processed under the scheme from 2025 onward.
Alausa also addressed recurring complaints from scholars under the BEA programme regarding unpaid allowances. He said all supplementary allowances had been cleared up to December 2024, and the remaining entitlements would be settled once the 2025 budget is finalized. He criticised what he described as “blackmail” by some scholars who took to social media to voice their frustrations.
The government now plans to redirect funds previously allocated to BEA towards local scholarship schemes that will benefit a greater number of students within Nigeria.
In response, NANS President Olushola Oladoja praised the minister for his bold reforms and efforts to prioritise educational equity.
