FG Dumps Bilateral Education Agreement, Says It’s Wasteful
In a shocking move, the Federal Government announced the cancellation of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme, effective immediately.
The decision was made public by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, during a courtesy visit by newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Tuesday.
The BEA programme, which was established to foster strong diplomatic ties and mutual cooperation with partner countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia, has been in operation for several years.
However, the government has deemed the scheme a “waste of resources” due to the lack of academic monitoring and the fact that many of the courses offered abroad are available in Nigerian universities.
According to Minister Alausa, the government plans to redirect the funds allocated to the BEA programme towards domestic scholarship programmes that will benefit more students across the country.
“In 2025 alone, the government planned to spend N9 billion on just 1,200 students. It’s unjust to spend such a huge amount sending students abroad to study courses available locally while millions of Nigerian students receive no support,” he stated.
The minister also expressed displeasure over the “blackmailing” behaviour of some scholars under the scheme on social media, which he believes has been a major factor in the government’s decision to discontinue the programme.
“I reviewed the courses—some students went to Algeria, a French-speaking country, to study English, Psychology, and Sociology—courses we teach better in Nigeria. It’s not fair to Nigerian students,” he said.
The cancellation of the BEA programme comes as a surprise to many, especially given the government’s recent assurances that all supplementary allowances due to Nigerian scholars had been paid up to December 2024. The government had also appealed for patience, noting that additional funds had been requested to settle all outstanding entitlements affected by exchange rate fluctuations.
However, Minister Alausa has assured that current BEA beneficiaries will be allowed to complete their programmes, but no new admissions will be accepted under the arrangement from 2025 onward.
“By the end of 2024, all outstanding scholarships will be cleared. The 2025 scholarships are pending due to the budget appropriation process. They will be paid in the coming months. However, we will not continue the programme beyond 2025,” he said.
The decision to cancel the BEA programme has been met with mixed reactions from stakeholders. While some have praised the government’s decision to redirect funds towards domestic scholarship programmes, others have expressed concerns about the impact on Nigerian students who had been benefiting from the scheme.
In a statement, the newly elected President of NANS, Olushola Oladoja, commended the minister for the significant progress made since his assumption of office. “We appreciate the minister’s efforts to address the concerns of Nigerian students, and we look forward to working with him to ensure that the domestic scholarship programmes are implemented effectively,” he said.
As the news of the cancellation of the BEA programme continues to unfold, many are left wondering what this means for the future of education in Nigeria. Will the government’s decision to redirect funds towards domestic scholarship programmes have a positive impact on the country’s education system, or will it have unintended consequences? Only time will tell.
