The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has announced the federal government’s decision to discontinue the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme, citing inefficiency and poor value for public spending.

Dr Alausa made the announcement during a courtesy visit by the new leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Tuesday in Abuja.

He criticised the scheme’s structure, revealing that shortly after assuming office in 2024, he was asked to approve N650 million for just 60 students headed to Morocco. He declined the request.

“It’s an unfair allocation of resources when millions of students in Nigerian universities are left unsupported,” Alausa said.

The BEA scheme was designed to enable Nigerian students to study in countries like Russia, China, Algeria, Hungary, and Morocco. However, the minister pointed out that many of the courses being studied abroad are already available, and in some cases of higher quality, in Nigerian institutions.

Dr Alausa also addressed claims by some BEA recipients who had taken to social media to complain about unpaid allowances, describing their conduct as blackmail. He clarified that the government had paid all supplementary stipends up to December 2024.

He further criticised the lack of academic oversight in the programme, noting that recipients were granted yearly travel allowances with no proper monitoring of academic performance. In 2025 alone, the government had earmarked N9 billion for just 1,200 students under the BEA scheme.

“This is not sustainable,” he stated. “It’s a luxury that does not serve the majority. From 2025, this programme will end.”

He added that the funds would instead be redirected towards domestic scholarship initiatives, benefitting a broader segment of Nigerian students.

“I found students being sent to study English, Psychology, and Sociology in Algeria—a French-speaking country, when we offer those same courses here with better resources,” he said.

NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, who led the delegation, commended the minister for initiating much-needed reforms in the education sector.