The Federal Government has maintained its decision to discontinue the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, insisting that the scheme is no longer in Nigeria’s national interest.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the government will not reverse the policy, arguing that Nigerian tertiary institutions now have the capacity to offer the courses previously funded under the foreign scholarship arrangement.
He explained that continuing to send students abroad for studies that can be completed locally amounts to unnecessary spending of public funds, especially as some programmes cost the government about $10,000 per student.
According to him, many of the courses offered under the scheme are already available in Nigerian universities, making overseas sponsorship redundant.
The minister also criticised aspects of the programme, questioning why Nigerian students would be sent to non-English-speaking countries to study English-related courses.
Alausa stated that the BEA scheme, introduced decades ago to support academic exchange between Nigeria and partner countries, had outlived its original purpose due to significant improvements in local higher education.
He further alleged that the programme had been mismanaged over the years, claiming that some beneficiaries collected allowances without remaining in their host countries, while others were sponsored for courses already widely available in Nigeria.
The government noted that spending on the scheme had risen significantly in recent years, placing additional pressure on public finances.
Despite its cancellation, the minister assured that all students currently under the programme will continue to receive full government support until they complete their studies.
The BEA scholarship scheme was formally scrapped in April 2025 as part of broader education sector reforms.
