The Federal Government has started releasing 50 per cent of outstanding 2025 Bilateral Education Agreement scholarship arrears to Nigerian students studying abroad.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and published on its official X page on Wednesday.

The payment represents a partial settlement of backlog allowances owed under the BEA scholarship programme following earlier delays in funding releases.

The Ministry said the funds were processed through the Central Bank of Nigeria and transmitted to Nigerian embassies and missions abroad for onward payment to beneficiaries.

The Federal Ministry of Education confirmed that the disbursement represents 50 per cent of the approved outstanding 2025 allowances under the BEA scholarship scheme. It said embassy accounts have already been credited and that missions are expected to begin payments to beneficiaries.

“The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of approved outstanding 2025 allowances to beneficiaries of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme studying in partner countries abroad,” the statement read in part.

It added, “The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, stated that the released funds represent 50 per cent of the approved outstanding obligations for 2025, while efforts are ongoing to facilitate payment of the balance.”

The Ministry said the funds have been credited to embassy accounts, with Nigerian missions directed to begin immediate payment to beneficiaries. It added that BEA scholars should monitor their accounts for credit alerts as disbursement begins across different countries.

In March 2025, the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS) raised concerns over delayed stipends and a reported 56 per cent reduction in allowance payments, saying many students were left stranded abroad.

The group said earlier payments covering January to August 2023 were incomplete due to exchange rate-related shortfalls, which left several beneficiaries with funding gaps. It added that subsequent disbursements in 2024 did not fully clear outstanding arrears, worsening financial pressure on students.

In April 2025, the Nigerian government announced the official discontinuation of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, stating that it wastes public funds and offers courses already available in Nigerian universities.

The BEA programme, established through diplomatic partnerships, enabled Nigerian students to study in countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia. Under the scheme, beneficiaries received tuition funding, stipends, and living allowances financed by the federal government.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, had earlier defended reforms around the BEA programme, describing it as financially burdensome relative to Nigeria’s domestic education priorities.

He referenced earlier spending projections on the scheme, arguing that allocating significant funds to a small number of foreign-based students is difficult to justify compared to the wider needs of the education sector.

The Ministry said the government was prioritising domestic scholarship schemes.

It noted that local programmes are designed to benefit a larger number of students.

It confirmed that existing BEA beneficiaries will complete their studies.

The reforms are part of broader education sector restructuring.

The policy shift continues to generate debate over Nigeria’s foreign scholarship commitments.

The Federal Government allocated N1.764 billion in the 2026 budget for 300 fresh BEA scholarships under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The allocation is part of the ministry’s 2026 budget and will cover allowances, travel, health insurance, and related expenses for beneficiaries.

N1.764 billion is earmarked for 300 new BEA scholarships.

N105 million is allocated for verification of BEA institutions across 12 countries.

N5.6 billion will service 1,532 ongoing BEA scholars.

The programme covers countries including Russia, China, Cuba, Turkey, and Morocco.

Despite the April 2025 discontinuation of the BEA programme, the 2026 budget still includes funding provisions for both new and existing scholars.