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Nigerian beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme have acknowledged receipt of part-payment of their 2025 stipends.
But they appealed to the government to urgently settle the outstanding payments and accumulated backlogs.
The Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS), in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Dr Umar Gambo Adamu, on behalf of all BEA chapter presidents, said the recent payment had provided some relief to scholars but stressed that much still needs to be done to clear the arrears.
According to the union, only 46 per cent of the amount required for the 2025 academic year was budgeted, while only half of the budgeted amount was subsequently paid, leaving scholars with about 23 per cent of their total 2025 stipends.
The UNBEAS said the development was particularly concerning because of the approaching end of the budget cycle. It warned that the 2024 and 2025 budgets cycles could be closed after September 30, 2026, potentially complicating efforts to settle outstanding obligations.
The scholars appealed to the Federal Government, particularly the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to ensure the immediate release of the remaining 2025 allocation and other outstanding arrears.
The union said BEA scholars were still owed four months’ stipends from 2023, apart from a separate shortfall of more than $1,000.
It added that only about 46 per cent of the total 2024 stipends had been paid, while the payment made for 2025 represented only about 23 per cent of the total amount due.
“Scholars also note with dismay that, as of the time of compiling this press release, no payment has been received for the year 2026,” the union said.
The UNBEAS expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, the Ministers of Education and Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB), the Union of Parents of BEA Scholars and other stakeholders involved in the release of the recent 2025 payment.
It, however, urged the authorities not to stop at the part-payment, noting that the outstanding obligations were still placing a burden on scholars studying under the government-to-government scholarship arrangement.
The union appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, the Federal Scholarship Board and other stakeholders to intervene and expedite the payment of all outstanding stipends and backlogs.
