FG Insists Foreign Scholarship Scheme Will Not Return Despite Criticism

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its decision to discontinue the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, stating that the scheme no longer aligns with Nigeria’s educational priorities and economic realities.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an interview where he explained that Nigeria now has the institutional capacity to offer most of the courses students were previously sponsored to study abroad.

According to the minister, continuing to fund foreign education for courses readily available in Nigerian universities would amount to unnecessary spending of public funds.

He stressed that the government remains committed to strengthening local universities and tertiary institutions rather than investing billions of naira in overseas scholarship programmes.

Alausa questioned the rationale behind sponsoring students to study in countries where language barriers and academic differences could negatively affect learning outcomes.

He noted that some beneficiaries were sent to countries such as Morocco, Niger Republic, and Sudan to study programmes that are already available in Nigerian institutions.

The minister specifically criticised situations where students were sponsored to study English Language in non-English-speaking countries, describing the practice as unjustifiable.

According to him, the BEA scholarship programme was originally created decades ago to support academic exchange and provide access to specialised science, engineering, and technology courses that were not widely available in Nigeria at the time.

However, he said Nigeria’s higher education sector has significantly improved over the years, with universities and polytechnics now offering most of the programmes previously sourced abroad.

Alausa also alleged that the scholarship scheme had been heavily abused in recent years, with some students reportedly receiving government funds without remaining in their host countries.

He claimed investigations revealed cases where beneficiaries collected scholarship allowances while allegedly residing in Nigeria instead of pursuing their studies overseas.

The minister described the development as a form of corruption that undermined the original purpose of the programme.

He explained that the government’s decision to scrap the scheme was influenced by concerns over accountability, misuse of public funds, and the need to prioritise investment in Nigeria’s education system.

Despite the cancellation, the Federal Government assured that students currently benefiting from the scholarship programme would continue to receive financial support until they complete their studies.

Officials also noted that the rising cost of maintaining the scheme became increasingly difficult for the government to sustain.

Records showed that Nigeria’s budget allocation for servicing the programme reportedly increased from about N3.2 billion in 2022 to nearly N8 billion by 2025.

The Federal Government officially announced the cancellation of the Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship scheme in April 2025 as part of broader reforms targeted at improving local education and reducing unnecessary foreign spending.

Education stakeholders believe the policy could encourage more investment in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges while promoting local academic development, research, and innovation.