- Alausa further alleged that the scheme had suffered widespread abuse in recent years,
- Federal Government officially scrapped the BEA scholarship programme in April 2025 after concerns emerged over its rising cost
- He maintained that the government would not reverse the cancellation of the programme
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its decision to discontinue the Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship scheme, stating that the initiative no longer aligns with the country’s educational priorities.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an interview with Saturday PUNCH, stressing that Nigerian universities now possess the capacity to offer most of the courses previously studied abroad under the programme.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Fani-Kayode, Omokri Oppose Return Of Power To North Before 2031, Endorse Tinubu For 2027
- Putin defends Ukraine war amid NATO aggression claims
- Epe Stakeholders Unite in Massive Endorsement for Wale Raji, Tobun, Tinubu, Others
According to the minister, it is no longer justifiable for government to spend huge sums sponsoring students overseas for programmes that are readily available in local institutions.
Alausa argued that Nigeria’s education sector has evolved significantly over the years, especially in areas such as science, technology and engineering, which originally motivated the establishment of the scholarship arrangement decades ago.
He also questioned the logic behind sending Nigerian students to countries where language barriers and academic differences could negatively affect learning outcomes.
The minister cited examples of students being sponsored to study English in countries such as Morocco, where French is the dominant language, describing the practice as wasteful.
He maintained that the government would not reverse the cancellation of the programme, insisting that public funds must be used more responsibly.
Alausa further alleged that the scheme had suffered widespread abuse in recent years, with scholarships reportedly awarded for courses like mass communication and sociology that are already available in Nigerian universities.
He also claimed authorities uncovered cases where some beneficiaries allegedly collected scholarship funds without remaining in their host countries for studies.
According to him, these irregularities contributed to the decision to terminate the programme, as it was no longer fulfilling its original purpose of academic exchange and capacity development.
Despite ending the scheme, the minister assured that students currently benefiting from the scholarship would continue to receive government support until they complete their education.
The Federal Government officially scrapped the BEA scholarship programme in April 2025 after concerns emerged over its rising cost, with allocations increasing from N3.2 billion in 2022 to N8 billion in 2025.
FURTHER READING
