The Federal Government (FG) has officially announced the cancellation of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme, describing it as a mismanaged and wasteful initiative that no longer serves the broader interest of Nigerian students.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the newly elected leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
He expressed concern over the poor structure of the programme and what he called the “blackmailing” attitude of some scholars on social media.
“When I assumed office in 2024, I was asked to approve N650 million for 60 students going to Morocco under the BEA programme. I refused. It’s not fair to Nigerian students,” Alausa said.
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He explained that many students were sent to countries like Algeria, a French-speaking nation, to study courses such as English, Psychology, and Sociology, which are widely and effectively taught in Nigerian universities.
The BEA programme, born out of diplomatic agreements, had provided Nigerian students the opportunity to study in countries such as China, Russia, Egypt, Hungary, Morocco, Algeria, and Serbia. However, over the years, several beneficiaries had raised concerns over neglect and irregular payments of their entitlements.
While the government recently confirmed that all supplementary allowances for BEA scholars had been paid up to December 2024, the Minister clarified that the scheme would no longer continue beyond the 2025 academic year.
“By the end of 2024, all outstanding scholarships will be cleared. The 2025 scholarships are pending due to the budget appropriation process. They will be paid in the coming months. However, we will not continue the programme beyond 2025,” he stated.
Alausa highlighted the absence of academic monitoring and performance evaluation for BEA scholars, despite the government funding their annual travel and tuition.
“In 2025 alone, the government planned to spend N9 billion on just 1,200 students. It’s unjust to spend such a huge amount sending students abroad to study courses available locally while millions of Nigerian students receive no support,” he lamented.
“We have evaluated every course these 1,200 students are studying abroad, every single one is available in Nigerian universities. We are cancelling the BEA. It is not the best use of public funds,” he declared.
According to the Minister, the funds previously allocated to the BEA scheme will now be channeled into domestic scholarship programmes that will benefit a larger population of Nigerian students.
“That money will now be used to fund local scholarships and support more students,” he said, assuring that all current BEA beneficiaries will be allowed to complete their studies, but no new admissions will be processed under the scheme from 2025 onward.
Meanwhile, NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, praised the Minister for the reforms and progress recorded under his leadership, pledging continued student support for the Ministry’s policy direction.
