Nigerian students studying abroad under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship are facing severe hardship due to prolonged delays and drastic reductions in their stipends.
The Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS) has raised alarm over the worsening conditions, urging the President Bola Tinudu-led government to take immediate action.
According to reports, students have not received stipend payments since January 2025, and those who have been in the program since 2023 have experienced months of unpaid or underpaid stipends. This has led to financial uncertainty, with many students struggling to afford basic necessities like food and accommodation.
The situation is particularly challenging in countries like Hungary, where strict immigration laws make it difficult for students to engage in side jobs. Students in Morocco have been evicted from their rented apartments, while others have fallen ill due to lack of medical care.
The BEA scholarship program is designed to support Nigerian students pursuing higher education abroad, with participating countries including Algeria, China, Egypt, and Russia ¹. However, the program has been plagued by inconsistent payments and inadequate funding.
The UNBEAS is calling on the government to immediately pay all outstanding stipends from September to December 2023, as well as supplement the shortfall from earlier that year.
They are also urging the government to restore the original $500 stipend, which was slashed to $220 in 2024.
