ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has announced the termination of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme, citing inefficiency and inequitable resource distribution as reasons for the decision.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Abuja during a courtesy visit by newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
“I was asked to approve N650 million for 60 students going to Morocco under the BEA programme when I assumed office in 2024,” Alausa said.
“I refused. It’s not fair to the majority of Nigerian students.”
The BEA, a decades-old scheme that enabled Nigerian students to study in countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Egypt, and Serbia, will officially wind down in 2025.
Current beneficiaries will be permitted to complete their courses, but the programme will not admit new students.
Alausa criticised the programme as a poor allocation of public funds, noting that many of the courses funded under the scheme — including Sociology, Psychology, and English — are readily available in Nigerian universities, often with better infrastructure and instruction.
“In 2025 alone, the government planned to spend N9 billion on just 1,200 students. That’s unjust when millions of students in Nigeria receive no support,” the minister stated.
He also raised concerns about academic oversight and misuse of entitlements, saying some BEA scholars resorted to blackmail over delayed allowances, despite recent government claims that supplementary payments had been made through December 2024.
The Education Ministry says funds previously allocated to the BEA will now be channelled into local scholarship initiatives to support a larger population of Nigerian students.
“There will be no BEA going forward,” Alausa said.
“The money will now be used to fund domestic scholarships and support more Nigerian students in our own institutions.”
NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, lauded the minister’s decision, describing it as “a bold and necessary reform” that would better serve the interests of the broader student population.
