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Nigerian students studying abroad under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme have demanded payment of their outstanding stipends.
The students expressed concern about delays in paying their 2025 stipends, warning that the arrears could become harder to settle after the 2024 and 2025 budget cycles close on September 30, 2026.
The Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars said only about 23 per cent of the total 2025 stipends had been paid, despite repeated assurances that the outstanding amount would be released within two weeks.
In a statement, the union’s spokesperson, Umar Adamu, appreciated the government and officials involved in the latest payment but appealed for the release of the outstanding funds.
“While the amount budgeted for the year 2025 was only 46 per cent of the total amount required for the year, only half of that amount was paid despite repeated assurances from the minister that the remaining amount would be paid within the next two weeks,” the union said.
It warned that closing the budget cycles could further complicate efforts to clear the arrears.
“Our concern remains that after 30th September 2026, the budget cycles for both 2024 and 2025 may be closed,” the union said.
“In the same vein, we wish to appeal to the government, through the Honourable Minister of Education, to ensure the immediate release of the remaining 2025 payment, as well as all other outstanding backlogs.”
The union said BEA scholars were still owed stipends covering four months in 2023, in addition to a separate shortfall of more than $1,000.
It added that only about 46 percent of the total stipends for 2024 had been paid, while no payment had been received for 2026 as of the time of the statement.
“For 2025, only 23 per cent of the total stipends have been paid,” the union said.
The group urged President Bola Tinubu, Education Minister Tunji Alausa, the Scholarship Board and other stakeholders to intervene urgently to clear the outstanding payments and prevent further arrears.
