The Federal Government has dismissed claims circulating online that Nigerian students on government-funded scholarships abroad have been abandoned or left unpaid, describing such reports as misleading and inaccurate. The clarification was issued by the Honourable Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, in response to growing concerns raised on social media, particularly by Nigerian students studying in Morocco under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Dr. Alausa stressed that all Nigerian students who were validly enrolled under the Federal Government’s scholarship schemes prior to 2024 have received their entitlements up to the 2024 budget year. According to him, the allegations of widespread non-payment, hardship, and neglect do not accurately reflect the government’s position or actions.
What the government is saying
Addressing the controversy, the minister stated unequivocally that no Nigerian student on a legitimate Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned. He explained that payments to beneficiaries enrolled before 2024 were made in line with budgetary provisions and existing obligations.
“All beneficiaries duly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme prior to 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year, in line with the Federal Government’s obligations,” the minister said.
Dr. Alausa acknowledged that there have been concerns about delays in settling some outstanding obligations but attributed these issues to prevailing fiscal constraints rather than negligence or policy failure. He noted that the Federal Ministry of Education is actively engaging with the Federal Ministry of Finance to resolve any temporary gaps in disbursement.
“Any temporary delays in outstanding payments are attributable to fiscal constraints and are currently being addressed through ongoing engagements between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance,” the statement added.
The minister also clarified that no new bilateral scholarship awards were approved or issued in October 2025 or thereafter. He described documents and letters circulating online suggesting otherwise as fake, unauthenticated, and deliberately designed to mislead the public and discredit government education policy.
Social media claims and student concerns
The government’s response follows viral posts by Nigerian students in Morocco who claimed that delayed stipend payments had exposed them to severe hardship, including homelessness, inability to access medical care, and difficulty meeting basic living expenses. The posts reignited long-standing concerns around the sustainability of Nigeria’s foreign scholarship programmes, particularly amid economic pressures and foreign exchange volatility.
While refuting the claim that students were unpaid up to 2024, the Federal Government acknowledged the emotional and financial strain experienced by some scholars, insisting that efforts are ongoing to stabilise the system and conclude outstanding commitments responsibly.
Backstory to the controversy
Concerns about delayed scholarship payments are not new. In March 2025, the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS) publicly raised alarm over prolonged delays in stipend payments and a reported 56% reduction in allowances. According to the union, students had last received payments covering January to August 2023, and even those payments were incomplete due to sharp exchange rate movements.
UNBEAS also alleged that stipends for September to December 2023 were not paid at all, and when payments resumed in September 2024, monthly allowances were reportedly reduced from $500 to about $220. Students cited evictions, food insecurity, mounting debts, and untreated illnesses as consequences of the reduced and delayed stipends.
The union further explained that many affected students could no longer rely on family support from Nigeria, given the country’s own economic challenges, rising living costs, and weakening household incomes.
Policy review and programme suspension
In April 2025, the Federal Government announced the suspension and gradual termination of the BEA/BES programme following a comprehensive policy review. According to Dr. Alausa, the review revealed that most of the courses Nigerians were studying abroad under bilateral arrangements are now widely available in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
As a result, the government concluded that continued funding of such programmes overseas was no longer economically justifiable. Under the revised policy, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are supported, with host countries bearing all financial responsibilities.
Commitment to existing students
Despite the policy shift, the minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to students already enrolled under previous bilateral scholarship arrangements. He assured stakeholders that Nigeria would continue to honour its obligations to these students until they complete their programmes.
Dr. Alausa urged the public and affected students to rely on official communication channels for accurate information, warning that misinformation could undermine confidence and cause unnecessary panic among scholars and their families.
Emmanuel Bassey is a Financial Expert that has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 15+ years across different banks in Nigeria
