In a powerful and impassioned message posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Nigerian academic and founder of Scholarships Café, Dr. Olumuyiwa Igbalajobi, has raised alarm over the financial abandonment of Nigerian scholars abroad under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA). The widely respected researcher did not mince words as he addressed Dr. Yusuf Tunji Alausa, the Honourable Minister of Education, urged urgent redress of a deepening crisis that has left students stranded, demoralized, and struggling for survival in foreign lands.
“These young minds—our nation’s ambassadors—have been unjustly denied their stipends for months, despite faithfully representing Nigeria in their academic pursuits,” Dr. Igbalajobi wrote in a now-viral post. “It is heartbreaking that those who carry the torch of Nigerian excellence abroad now face uncertainty—not due to academic failure, but administrative silence.”
The Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA), a scholarship scheme overseen by Nigeria’s Federal Scholarship Board (FSB), allows outstanding students to pursue graduate and postgraduate studies in countries such as Russia, China, Hungary, and others. However, as confirmed by a March 7 statement from the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS), the program has fallen into crisis, with no stipend payments since September 2023.
Prior to the cut-off, BEA scholars had already been struggling with the impact of currency devaluation. According to the UNBEAS statement, the last full payments covered the period from January to August 2023, but by the time a payment was eventually processed in September 2024, it came with a staggering 56% reduction—slashing monthly stipends from $500 to $220. For students living in high-cost countries, this amount has proven grossly inadequate.
An independent review of UNBEAS records revealed that 84% of surveyed scholars reported difficulty affording rent, food, and tuition due to the inconsistency in stipend disbursement. A Nigerian postgraduate student in Turkey, who asked to remain anonymous, said via a page on facebook, “We have become beggars in a foreign land. I now rely on side hustle from the street just to eat.”
Dr. Igbalajobi’s post triggered a flood of similar complaints from current and former scholarship beneficiaries. “Nigerian scholars are suffering,” wrote user @Dhirodkar. “National award and bilateral education scholars have been left stranded since 2023 with no payment in sight.” Another commenter, @Adesoji, added, “This is also the same plight of national award beneficiaries. No payment since 2023. Yet, more applications and shortlisting continue as if all is well.”
In a troubling pattern, several other scholars highlighted the Ministry’s silence despite completed verification exercises. “We did a verification exercise in September last year,” said @SadeekYusuf, “yet over one and a half years later, we have received nothing. It’s quite unbecoming that the Federal Ministry of Education has abandoned its scholars.”
Data gathered from open-source scholarship communities corroborate these claims. As of April 2025, over 70% of 412 BEA and National Award beneficiaries surveyed reported not receiving any stipend since mid-2023. Some haven’t been paid since as far back as 2022. This includes students in countries where living without financial support could lead to deportation due to inability to pay tuition.
Adding to the chorus of pleas, @Umarmk100 wrote, “Federal Scholarship Board started 2024 payments in February after months of delay, yet over 70% of beneficiaries remain unpaid. Many depend on this stipend for school fees and essentials. We need urgent action!” Another user, @Cara, stated plainly, “Some of us haven’t been paid a dime since 2022. Please do something about it.”
Dr. Igbalajobi emphasized that these payments are not just financial aid—they are lifelines. “These scholars deserve consistency, transparency, and above all, dignity,” he insisted in his post. “Their education and well-being must not be casualties of bureaucratic delay.”
Despite repeated calls, the Ministry of Education has yet to issue a comprehensive public statement addressing the issue. An inquiry sent to the Ministry’s press unit by The Nigeria Education News went unanswered at the time of this report.
Experts in international education say this crisis could harm Nigeria’s global academic reputation. “When a country fails to meet its obligations to students abroad, it reflects poorly on its commitment to education and development,” said Prof. John Iwuh of Redeemer’s University, Ede. “This could lead partner countries to reconsider future bilateral agreements.”
A former BEA beneficiary and now a university lecturer in Canada, Dr. Zainab Abubakar, shared a dire warning: “I was once a BEA scholar and remember how crucial those funds were. If the government doesn’t act fast, we will lose brilliant minds who might be forced to abandon their studies or never return home.”
As voices grow louder, and the cries of stranded scholars echo across social platforms and official forums, one question remains unanswered: Will the Nigerian government respond before it is too late? For now, the hopes and futures of hundreds of scholars hang in the balance.
