The Federal Government has announced the discontinuation of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme, citing its high cost and limited benefit as justification.
The move follows growing criticism from former beneficiaries who accused the government of neglect and delay in fulfilling financial obligations.
Speaking on Tuesday, April 29, during a courtesy visit by the newly elected leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, declared that the BEA scheme would not continue beyond 2025.
He described the initiative as a “waste of public funds,” vowing instead to redirect resources toward domestic scholarship programmes that would benefit a broader spectrum of Nigerian students.
The BEA, established through partnerships with countries including China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia, enabled Nigerian students to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees abroad.
However, concerns about accountability, poor course selection, and lack of academic monitoring have increasingly cast a shadow over the scheme.
“In 2024, shortly after I assumed office, I was asked to approve ₦650 million for just 60 students going to Morocco. I refused. It’s not fair to the majority of Nigerian students, Some are sent to Algeria—a French-speaking country—to study English, psychology, and sociology. These are courses we teach far better in Nigeria,” Alausa said.
He revealed that ₦9 billion had been earmarked for 1,200 students under the BEA programme in 2025, a figure he criticised as unjustifiable given the financial needs of millions of local students.
“Every course these students are studying abroad is already available in Nigerian universities. That money can be better used to fund local scholarships,” he added.
The minister also addressed recent social media criticism from BEA scholars, accusing some of using “blackmail tactics” to draw attention to delayed allowances.
While confirming that all payments had been made up to December 2024, he appealed for patience, noting that further funds had been requested to address outstanding entitlements affected by exchange rate volatility.
Despite the cancellation, current BEA beneficiaries will be allowed to complete their studies, but no new admissions will be made under the scheme from 2025 onward.
NANS President Olushola Oladoja, who led the student delegation, praised the minister’s reform-driven approach and expressed support for the redirection of funds to strengthen local tertiary education.
