Nigeria’s Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme, conceived in the 1970s to bridge gaps in specialised training unavailable in local institutions, is facing renewed scrutiny amid allegations of unpaid stipends, contradictory official records, and growing hardship among Nigerian students studying overseas.
Historical records show that the BEA was established to help Nigeria meet global academic standards in disciplines not readily available domestically. The first country Nigeria entered into a bilateral education agreement with was Russia, formerly the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
According to data obtained by this reporter from the official website of the Nigerian Embassy in Russia, education has remained one of the major pillars of cooperation between the two countries since diplomatic relations were established in 1960.
“Thousands of Nigerian students have, over the years, studied in Russian universities in various fields of specialisation, ranging from General Medicine, Aeronautic Engineering, Chemical Technology, Economics, Oil and Gas, Nuclear Physics, Mechatronics, Robotics and Nanotechnology, among others,” the embassy stated.
Many of these graduates, the embassy noted, have gone on to make significant contributions to Nigeria’s labour force and development across different sectors.
The Russia–Nigeria BEA, jointly administered by the Russian Ministry of Education and Nigeria’s Federal Scholarship Board (FSB), remains one of the most prominent education cooperation frameworks, through which Russia awards scholarships to about 100 Nigerian students annually.
Nigeria’s BEA Reach and Partner Countries
Currently, more than 2,500 Nigerian students are studying at various universities in Russia, particularly in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Belgorod, Rostov, Voronezh, Kursk, and Samara.
Of this number, over 500 students are beneficiaries of the BEA and Russia’s Open-Door Scholarship Scheme, while others are privately sponsored or supported by state governments in Nigeria.
Historically, Nigeria’s BEA arrangements have spanned between seven and 15 countries, depending on the application year. Countries involved over time include Russia, Morocco, Hungary, Egypt, Algeria, China, Serbia, Romania, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey, Cuba and Tunisia.
Morocco Crisis Goes Viral
The plight of Nigerian BEA students returned to public attention in January 2026 after social media influencer and activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), posted videos from Morocco, where he had travelled to support Nigeria during the Africa Cup of Nations.
In the videos, posted on January 6, VDM narrated encounters with Nigerian scholarship students in Morocco who alleged abandonment by the Nigerian government.
The students said one of the conditions of their scholarship forbids them from working in the host country, leaving them with no legal means of survival when stipends are delayed or unpaid.
One student reportedly suffered a serious accident that left his thigh bone broken, but he could not afford surgery due to a lack of funds. He has since relied on crutches. Another student, Bashir Malami, admitted in the 2019/2020 academic session to study Electrical Engineering, reportedly died of tuberculosis on November 28, 2025, after being unable to pay hospital bills.
VDM also shared footage of a Moroccan house agent pleading with the Nigerian government to settle outstanding rent owed by Nigerian students, warning that eviction was imminent.
Award Letters and Contradictory Allowances
Among the documents presented in the videos was an award letter dated September 1, 2025, referencing Morocco. Although the student’s name was concealed, the letter was signed by the Director-General of the Federal Scholarship Board on behalf of the Minister of Education.
The letter listed the following entitlements:
$500 monthly supplementation for feeding, local transport, equipment and books
$250 annually for warm clothing
$200 annually for health insurance
₦60,000 take-off grant
One-way return air ticket
However, another document dated July 23, 2024, addressed to the President of the Association of BEA Students in Morocco, notified students of an adjustment to supplementary allowances for the 2024 academic year, citing domestic exchange rate fluctuations.
Under the revised structure:
Monthly supplementation was reduced from $500 to $220
Warm clothing allowance of $250 remained unchanged
Postgraduate research allowance was reduced from $1,000 to $500
Health insurance allowance of $200 remained unchanged
Passage allowance was reduced from $2,500 to $2,000
Pilot allowance of $700 remained unchanged
A comparison of both documents reveals contradictions between the 2024 adjustment letter and the September 2025 award letter, raising questions about consistency in policy implementation and possible misappropriation or mismanagement of funds.
Government Assurances and Budgetary Claims
On April 24, 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education issued a press release reaffirming the government’s “steadfast commitment” to Nigerian students studying abroad under the BEA.
Signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations, the statement said supplementary allowances had been paid up to December 2024 but acknowledged shortfalls caused by exchange-rate fluctuations.
The ministry said additional funding had been requested and that BEA provisions were captured under the ministry’s capital budget, with disbursement expected once implementation commenced.
However, students argue that while new awardees reportedly received full entitlements, older students continued to face reduced or unpaid allowances.
A Widespread Pattern Beyond Morocco
The challenges faced by BEA students in Morocco mirror experiences in other countries. On ARISE News about a year ago, Nigerian scholars in Russia said they were owed stipends for 10 months, although education ministry officials claimed only four months were affected by the naira devaluation.
Similarly, during a Channels Television programme titled Nigeria’s Foreign Scholarship Crisis aired on May 15, 2025, Dalhatu Tijjani, a BEA beneficiary and coordinator of the Union of Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS), explained that Nigeria is responsible for monthly supplementation, while host countries provide tuition, accommodation and, in some cases, minimal stipends.
He noted that Morocco is one of the few BEA destinations where students must independently rent accommodation, often spending $200–$300 monthly from their Nigerian stipends.
Tijjani detailed stipends provided by host countries:
Morocco: $120 every two months
Russia: $24 monthly
Serbia (PG): $150 monthly
China: $410 (Master’s), $480 (PhD)
Hungary: €105 (UG/Master’s), €240 (PhD)
Venezuela: none
He also stated that only China and Hungary provide health insurance, leaving Nigeria responsible for medical coverage elsewhere.
FSB Responds
TheCable contacted Astra Ndajiwo, Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, who attributed unpaid stipends to the extension of Nigeria’s 2023 capital expenditure budget.
“The 2024 capital expenditure has not started… until they close the 2023 capital expenditure, then the scholarship programme will go on,” she said in a May 14 voice call.
Stories from Morocco and Venezuela
For students like Sadiq Ahmed, a BEA beneficiary studying veterinary medicine at the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine in Rabat, the impact has been devastating.
Ahmed, selected in 2018, sold his phone and shoes to buy food and now eats once daily. He currently squats with a colleague in Casablanca, commuting over 87 kilometres daily to Rabat for lectures.
“Some students have resorted to begging on the streets,” he said.
In Venezuela, where economic collapse has worsened conditions, Saidu Adamu, one of 17 Nigerian BEA students, survives on rationed food and water while working illegally to survive.
FSB payments to Venezuelan students reportedly pass through Jamaica before reaching Venezuela via agents, each charging $100 per delivery.
Legislative and Official Reactions
In November 2025, the House of Representatives launched a probe into delayed scholarship payments, mandating multiple committees to investigate alleged mismanagement by the Federal Scholarship Board.
Following the VDM videos, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, dismissed claims that students had been abandoned, describing them as “false and unfounded.”
He denied issuing new BEA awards after 2024, labelled circulating documents as “fake,” and announced that Nigeria would discontinue overseas scholarships for programmes now available locally, except those fully funded by foreign governments.
Despite assurances that existing beneficiaries would be supported until graduation, many students remain unconvinced as unpaid stipends, evictions, and academic disruptions persist across multiple countries.
