The Federal Government (FG) has commenced payment of outstanding allowances owed to Nigerian students studying abroad under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme, nearly halfway into the 2025 academic funding cycle, with authorities confirming that only 50 per cent of the approved obligations has so far been released.
The Federal Ministry of Education (FME) disclosed on Tuesday that the approved funds had been remitted through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to Nigerian embassies and foreign missions for onward disbursement to eligible scholars in partner countries.
The development follows months of concern among beneficiaries over delays in the payment of allowances, which many foreign-based Nigerian students rely on for accommodation, feeding, tuition-related expenses, and daily living costs.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Boriowo Folasade, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the released funds represented half of the approved outstanding obligations for 2025.
According to him, efforts are ongoing to facilitate payment of the outstanding balance.
The minister said, “The funds have already reached embassy accounts, and affected missions are expected to begin immediate payments to beneficiaries.”
He advised students covered under the scheme to monitor their accounts as disbursement begins to reflect through the respective Nigerian missions handling the payments.
Although the ministry did not disclose the total amount approved for the scholarship programme or the number of affected students, the announcement is expected to provide temporary relief for beneficiaries who have faced prolonged uncertainty over delayed remittances.
The Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme is a government-backed programme that sponsors Nigerian students to study in countries with educational cooperation agreements with Nigeria. Beneficiaries are typically placed in partner institutions across parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
The programme has over the years supported students in fields considered strategic to national development, including medicine, engineering, sciences, and technology-related disciplines.
However, delays in the release of allowances have remained a recurring challenge which often triggers complaints from scholars abroad over financial hardship and difficulties in meeting living expenses.
The latest announcement from the ministry suggests that the government is attempting to address the backlog incrementally rather than through a full settlement at once.
By confirming that only half of the approved obligations has been released, the ministry also indirectly acknowledged that a substantial portion of the outstanding payments remains unsettled.
Dr Alausa said the payment reflected the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the welfare and academic success of Nigerian students studying overseas under the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The ministry further reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining educational policies aimed at strengthening human capital development and supporting Nigerian scholars abroad.
Despite the reassurance, the statement did not provide a specific timeline for the payment of the remaining 50 per cent balance owed to beneficiaries.
It also did not indicate whether the current disbursement covers all categories of scholars under the programme or only selected batches of students.
The absence of a definite payment schedule for the outstanding balance may continue to generate anxiety among beneficiaries, particularly those facing rising living costs in foreign countries amidst fluctuating exchange rates and global inflationary pressures.
Still, the commencement of payments marks the first official confirmation that remittances for the delayed 2025 scholarship obligations have begun reaching Nigerian missions abroad for distribution.
With embassies now expected to commence direct payments, attention is likely to shift towards the speed, transparency, and completeness of the disbursement process across the various host countries participating in the BEA scholarship arrangement.