The Federal Government has stopped funding new foreign scholarships under Nigeria’s Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA), saying scarce public resources should instead be used to strengthen tertiary education in the country.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the decision followed a review of the government’s overseas scholarship arrangements and the growing capacity of Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to the minister, it is difficult to justify spending hundreds of millions of naira to send students abroad to study courses that are already available in Nigerian institutions.
Alausa cited a proposal involving Nigerian students travelling to Morocco at an estimated cost of about ₦650 million, arguing that the same funds could support a much larger number of students if invested in the local education system.
He also questioned the rationale for sending Nigerian students to French-speaking countries to study courses such as English, journalism and psychology, which are already offered by Nigerian institutions.
The Federal Government, however, has clarified that the policy does not mean Nigerian students can no longer receive scholarships from foreign governments. Fully funded scholarships sponsored by foreign governments remain possible.
Students who were already beneficiaries of the government-funded BEA programme will also not be abandoned. The government has said it will continue meeting its obligations to existing beneficiaries until they complete their studies.
The government says the policy is aimed at reducing waste, improving accountability and redirecting resources towards strengthening Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The development comes as the Federal Government seeks to place greater emphasis on improving the quality and capacity of education within Nigeria rather than continuing to spend public funds on overseas programmes that can be delivered locally.
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