Since 2023, the Nigerian government has consistently defaulted in its payments of stipends to students under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme.

According to several scholars enrolled on this programme who spoke with FIJ, irregular payments of stipends have been the hallmark of the federal government, who consistently deny its responsibilities once the students are outside the country.

The BEA is a scholarship agreement signed between the federal government and fifteen other countries. Under this contract, the Nigerian government will provide $7,450 to postgraduate students and $6,450 to undergraduates yearly, while the host countries will cater for their accommodation and tuition fees.

The stipends paid by the Nigerian government are meant for health insurance, medical allowance and supplementation allowance, among others.

Countries which have signed this agreement with Nigeria are Algeria, China, Cuba, Egypt, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

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BEA STUDENTS SHOPLIFTING TO SURVIVE

According to one of the scholars, who chose to remain anonymous, most of the host countries fulfil their end of the bargain, but the federal government continues to fall short.

He told FIJ on Saturday that some of the students awarded the scholarship by the Nigerian government have resorted to stealing due to the frustration from the government’s inconsistency.

He explained that the Hungarian immigration law does not allow students to take up jobs which makes them dependent on the stipends provided by FG.

“We scholars on the BEA scheme are seriously suffering. In fact, some Nigerian students have been caught shoplifting, and in December, a student had to be rushed to the hospital due to depression and other health issues after struggling to get money for upkeep,” this Nigerian scholar abroad told FIJ.

“Unfortunately, in Hungary, immigration laws are very strict and don’t allow students to take on side hustles. On top of that, most of us have an extremely packed academic calendar.”

He further told FIJ that since 2023, their payments have become largely inconsistent, as some months were skipped. And for 2025, they have not been paid yet and do not know when to expect their stipends.

“”Since January 2025, we haven’t been paid a single dime, and my colleagues who have been here since 2023 are facing the same issues. Some months were skipped, and in others, payments were short.

“So, we don’t even know what to expect this year. Before leaving Nigeria, we signed an agreement with the government on stipends, but that agreement is not being followed.”

He also revealed that students in Morocco face worse realities as the host universities do not provide them with accommodation, and these students are also getting evicted from rented apartments.

However, according to Ndajiwo Hammanjoda Asta, the director of federal scholarships, whom the students recently met with via a Zoom call, their payments might not arrive until July, and arrears from 2023 and 2024 might not be cleared.

‘I WOULD HAVE STAYED IN NIGERIA’

For Dupe Adesiyan (a pseudonym), a PhD student, he wished he had never applied for the scholarship and rather stayed back in Nigeria. He told FIJ that he had a well-paying job and if he had known FG would never keep to their promises, he would have stayed put.

He said that the government was not only defaulting, but they also reduced their stipends from $500 to $220. Meanwhile, his rent alone is €250.

“I had a better job in Nigeria and never felt desperate to travel. But after considering the welfare package, I thought it was a good deal, especially since I planned to return to my job after finishing my studies,” Adesiyan told FIJ.

“I took study leave without pay, and you know what that means? If I had known I’d face these challenges, I would have stayed back. As a student with a family, the pressure to provide is overwhelming, and relying on stipends here has made it even harder.

“My rent alone is €250, yet they’re cutting allowances from $500 to $220 with the excuse that they’ll balance it later.”

Adesiyan revealed that unlike beneficiaries of other government scholarships like the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), they are left to their fate once they leave the country.

He stated that some students in Morocco are now being sponsored by their relatives in Nigeria.

“Those in Morocco have it even worse, as students aren’t allowed to work at all. My friend’s mum sends his monthly rent from Nigeria, and now she regrets the entire idea of him travelling,” Adesiyan explained.

“Meanwhile, our counterparts under PTDF, TETFUND and NDDC scholarships are living comfortably, receiving stipends of over €1,000 monthly.

“These scholarships are seen as scholarships for the children of the elites. While the BEA is seen as something reserved for the children of the masses.”

BEA STUDENTS NOW SEEKING ASYLUM

The postgraduate student who left Nigeria in September 2022 told FIJ that some Nigerian students enrolled under the BEA programme have now sought asylum due to the unpaid stipends from FG.

“You have no idea how many students have left to seek asylum. FSB do not know this. Some, out of frustration, have left but are still undercover just in case FSB decides to make payment eventually.”

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‘COME AND BEAT THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION’

When the scholars held the Zoom call with Asta, the director of federal scholarships, they expressed their frustrations. She told them to head down to Nigeria and beat the minister of education if they wanted their stipends badly.

Olumide Emeka (a pseudonym), another BEA beneficiary in Hungary, said he was shocked when he heard that from Asta.

“During an online meeting with an FSB official, she boldly told us, ‘The money might or might not be paid’,” he recalled.

“When students pressed further, she said we were getting her angry. Can you imagine that? In the end, she told us to go to court if we were unhappy or come to Nigeria and beat the Education Minister.”

He said this was despite reports of three Nigerian students arrested for stealing from grocery stores.

The scholar also said that the FSB announced a $1000 deduction from the rightful stipend of every student despite the consistent shortcomings.

“In 2023, the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) informed us of a shortfall in our payments. Each student had $1,000 deducted from their rightful stipend,” he said.

“We were told the money would be refunded when the government made provisions for it. Several budgets have been passed since then, yet we haven’t received our money.”

He explained how difficult it is for students to balance their studies with jobs as many have extreme workloads.

“Finding decent jobs here is quite difficult for foreigners, especially Africans. As a master’s student and scholarship recipient, I know how hard it is, particularly for the younger students pursuing bachelor’s degrees,” Emeka told FIJ.

“They have so many courses each semester that holding down a job becomes almost impossible. Master’s and PhD students have the flexibility to work a few hours weekly and earn some money.”

Emeka said the federal government also owed many of its scholars who have graduated from the programme.

‘GRADUATES ARE STILL BEING OWED’

Bode Oriyomi (a pseudonym) is one of the students who have graduated from the scheme. The federal government still owes him. He applied for the programme in 2021 and was in Hungary by September 2022.

He enrolled on a master’s programme but is still owed about $12,000 by the federal government.

Oriyomi said that under this bilateral agreement, the Hungarian government never defaulted in paying them on the 10th day of every month.

“They pay us a $100 monthly stipend as long as your student status is active,” Oriyomi said.

He said there was a time when the Nigerian government did not pay for almost 11 months despite consistent demands by the scholars.

“Sometimes, we had to gather money and send it to other Nigerian students in smaller cities so they could have something to eat since FG was not paying,” he added.

Oriyomi said he could not understand why the government failed to keep to their side of the bargain when everyone, including the students, kept theirs.

“Students honour the contract by keeping good grades and being of good behaviour,” Oriyomi said.

“It is difficult, and some people even have to go back home, but even before you can do that, you need the government to pay for your passage ticket.”

In 2024, a report showed how scholars demanded that the government scrap the programme since it could no longer sustain it or honour its commitment.

FIJ sent an email to the Federal Ministry of Education on Monday, but there was no response. The ministry was also yet to respond to WhatsApp messages and calls at press time.