The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has reproached the Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship programme of the federal government and announced its cancellation.
Alausa used the occasion of a courtesy visit by the newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students to make the government’s stance known on the diplomatic agreements with countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.
The BEA programme had allowed hundreds of Nigerian students to pursue higher education overseas on government sponsorship.
He said the programme did not make sense, particularly as some of the students were on scholarship to study courses that are better taught by Nigerian universities.
“I reviewed the courses—some students went to Algeria, a French-speaking country, to study English. That is simply illogical. These are courses we teach better in Nigeria,” the minister stated.
He also said that the cancelled programme, which cost government billions of naira is at the expense of students studying in Nigeria.
According to him: “In 2024, when I assumed office, I was asked to approve N650m for 60 students going to Morocco under the BEA programme. I refused. It’s not fair to Nigerian students.
“In 2025 alone, we projected N9bn to fund just 1,200 students abroad. Meanwhile, millions of students in Nigeria get no support. It’s unjust and unsustainable.
“We have evaluated every single course these 1,200 students are studying abroad—every one of them is offered in Nigerian universities.
“This programme is not the best use of public funds. That money will now be used to fund local scholarships and support more students.”
