The federal government has commenced the disbursement of approved outstanding 2025 allowances to beneficiaries of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme studying abroad.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on May
13, Tunji Alausa, minister of education, said the government currently has N4
billion outstanding obligations having initially disbursed N4 billion to the
Nigerian students under the BEA scholarship programme.
In a statement on Wednesday, Boriowo Folasade, director of
press and public relations, said the ministry the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
has successfully remitted the approved funds to Nigerian embassies and missions
for immediate disbursement to eligible scholars.
“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji
Alausa, CON, stated that the released funds represent 50 percent of the
approved outstanding obligations for 2025, while efforts are ongoing to
facilitate payment of the balance,” the statement reads.
“According to the Minister, the funds have already reached
embassy accounts, and affected missions are expected to begin immediate
payments to beneficiaries.”
The ministry advised scholars to monitor their accounts as
the payments begin to reflect.
The education ministry said the development demonstrates the
President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and academic success of
Nigerian students abroad.
The ministry further reaffirmed the government’s commitment
to fulfilling its obligations to Nigerian scholars and sustaining policies that
promote quality education, student welfare, and national human capital
development.
The BEA programme was established decades ago through
diplomatic agreements with countries including China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary,
Morocco, Egypt and Serbia to give hundreds of Nigerian students access to
higher education overseas.
Signatory countries give annual scholarship slots to
Nigeria’s federal scholarship board, which then proceeds to nominate indigenous
applicants by merit.
The host country undertakes to cover tuition and provide
housing for the scholars while Nigeria pays the awardees a yearly allowance of
$200 for health insurance, $500 annually for medicals, and $500 in monthly
stipend for nutrition, books, equipment, and transport.
However last year, the federal government discontinued the
programme for new applicants over allegations of fraud and derailment from
original purpose.
TheCable reported how Nigeria defaulted in paying the $500
stipend for one year, leaving young students stranded abroad.
Over the years, BEA scholars have also perennially accused
the federal government of abandoning them, generating media discourse that
prompted the summoning of a former education minister to the national assembly.
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