Nigeria Federal Government Confirms Permanent Scrapping of Foreign Scholarship Scheme

The Nigerian Federal Government has firmly declared that it will not reverse its decision to scrap the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) foreign scholarship scheme. Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa stated that the program no longer serves national interests due to significant improvements in local tertiary education capacity and widespread abuse of the system. The minister highlighted that many scholarships were awarded for courses readily available in Nigerian universities, such as mass communication and sociology, or sent students to linguistically incompatible countries like Morocco to study English. Additionally, investigations revealed corrupt practices where beneficiaries collected funds without residing in host countries. With the budget for the scheme escalating from N3.2 billion in 2022 to N8 billion in 2025, the government deemed it unsustainable. Although the program was formally cancelled in April 2025, the government assured that it would fulfill financial obligations to current students until they complete their studies. This decision marks a strategic shift towards relying on domestic educational infrastructure rather than funding overseas studies for disciplines already covered locally.