Pay our scholarship stipends – Nigerian students abroad call out FG

Nigerian students studying abroad under the Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) Scholarship have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to disburse their stipends.

The coalition, representing Nigerian scholars in various countries including Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, and Hungary, urged Tinubu to assist them as they endure significant hardships overseas.

Ayuba Anas Yushau, spokesperson for the Coalition of all Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Student Association, conveyed this plea in a statement released on Wednesday, March 6th.

“For the past six to eight months, scholars enrolled in various institutions abroad have endured financial strain due to the delay in receiving their stipends.

“In addition, from the last payments we received (March-August), there was a shortfall of practically two and a half months’ payment. Moreover, some students in China have not received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023.

“In some cases, there has been a shortfall of nearly two and a half months’ worth of payments, and this has had serious consequences for our well-being.”

Yushau pointed out that in countries such as Morocco, schools do not offer provided hostels, thus necessitating students to independently arrange and finance their accommodations.

He highlighted that the essential stipends allocated for covering basic living expenses have been withheld, resulting in students lacking the resources to afford housing, utilities, or food.