From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The federal government has ended the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme with foreign institutions. However, domestic scholarship initiatives, including the Nigerian Scholarship Awards for public university and polytechnic students, bursaries for education students, and presidential scholarships for NYSC ex-corps members, remain unaffected.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa announced this in a statement on Wednesday, signed by Folasade Boriowo. He described the move as a step to prioritise Nigeria’s educational needs. “The decision followed a thorough policy review aimed at consolidating national investment in domestic tertiary institutions,” he said.
Alausa noted that all courses previously studied abroad through the BEA are now available in Nigeria, often at higher quality. “It’s no longer justifiable to fund overseas studies with public resources when local alternatives exist,” he added.
Current BEA beneficiaries will continue to receive full government support until they complete their studies. “We will honour all existing commitments,” the minister stated.
He clarified that Nigeria welcomes fully funded scholarships from foreign governments under bilateral or multilateral agreements. “But these offers must cover tuition, accommodation, transportation, living expenses, healthcare, and provide a monthly allowance of no less than $500, without any financial obligation on the part of the Nigerian Government,” he said.