The Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji  Alausa, disclosed in a statement that the Nigerian government has officially discontinued the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme, which for years funded Nigerian students to study in foreign countries.

Mr Alausa explained that the decision followed a thorough policy review aimed at consolidating national investment in domestic tertiary institutions.

“Every course Nigerians travel abroad to study through the BEA is now available and often of higher quality within our own universities and polytechnics,” he said.

“It is no longer justifiable to fund overseas studies with public resources when local alternatives exist.”

The discontinuation of the programme is coming days after the ministry initially said it was temporarily suspending the programme for five years.

The Minister of Education stressed that the government’s decision to discontinue the BEA Scholarship Programme is a move to better manage public funds.

Alausa pointed out that resources previously allocated for funding overseas studies, including airfare, stipends, tuition, and living allowances, would now be redirected into strengthening Nigerian institutions. This, he said, would ultimately benefit more Nigerians by improving local universities and polytechnics.

The Minister emphasized that the government would remain open to fully funded scholarships offered by foreign governments through bilateral or multilateral agreements. However, these scholarships must cover all aspects of the students’ needs, including tuition, accommodation, transportation, healthcare, and provide a monthly stipend of no less than $500, without any financial obligation on the Nigerian government.

Dr. Alausa also reassured that the decision to end the BEA Scholarship Programme would not affect current beneficiaries of the programme. He assured that all students who are currently receiving BEA scholarships would continue to receive full government support until they complete their studies. “We will honour all existing commitments,” Dr. Alausa affirmed.

The Minister further explained that this policy change would not impact other domestic scholarship initiatives already in place. These include: The Nigerian Scholarship Awards for students in public universities and polytechnics, the Federal Government Bursary for Education students and the Presidential Scholarship for NYSC Ex-Corps Members

In addition to these existing scholarships, Dr. Alausa reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding the Nigerian Student Loan Programme, which offers interest-free loans to Nigerian students pursuing higher education in the country.

“This is not an end, but a new beginning,” Dr. Alausa said. “Our focus is now on building a stronger, self-reliant education system that leaves no Nigerian behind.”

The discontinuation of the BEA Scholarship Programme marks a historic shift toward consolidating Nigeria’s educational development within its borders.

It positions local institutions as the central pillars of national growth and innovation, as the government focuses on strengthening the country’s education system to meet the needs of its citizens.

The scrapping of the BEA marks a historic transition toward consolidating Nigeria’s educational development within its borders, positioning local institutions as central to national growth and innovation.

Meanwhile, current beneficiaries of the programme are calling on the government to pay their outstanding allowances, which they say has crossed $6,000.
The scholars, under the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education AGreement Scholars (UNBEAS), said 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.

The scholars also said they haven’t received any stipend payment this year.

The statement 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.