The federal government is discontinuing its long-standing Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme, which sponsored Nigerian university students to study abroad.
The government explained that this decision is due to the improved quality of higher education institutions within Nigeria and the nation’s “limited public funds.”
This development occurs as Nigeria grapples with an economic crisis following the implementation of reforms by President Bola Tinubu.
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Education Minister Morufu Olatunji Alausa announced the termination of the program in a statement, saying, “Every course Nigerians travel abroad to study through the BEA is now available and often of higher quality within our own universities and polytechnics. It is no longer justifiable to fund overseas studies with public resources when local alternatives exist.”
Alausa stated that the funds previously allocated to the BEA program would be redirected towards strengthening Nigeria’s domestic universities. He assured that students currently enrolled in the program would continue to receive funding until they complete their studies.
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu has initiated a series of economic reforms, which the government argues are essential to rectify the public finances of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa.
These reforms included the removal of costly fuel subsidies and the liberalization of the naira’s exchange rate – measures that have caused a surge in inflation but are considered necessary for long-term economic stability by supporters.
While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reiterated its support for these reforms last month, it also pointed out that the “gains have yet to benefit all Nigerians as poverty and food insecurity remain high.”
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