The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has announced a slash in allowances of foreign scholars who are currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others by 12.7%.
The ministry attributed the development to economic crises.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Nigerian students studying in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and other countries, on the Federal Governmentâs scholarship lamented their unpaid stipends for eight months running.
The students are studying under the Federal Governmentâs Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship.
The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries.
The Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The governmentâs decision to slash the scholarsâ allowances was contained in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
âAfter due consultations, the Federal Scholarship Board has come up with adjustments in line with budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholarâs supplementation allowances for the 2024 academic year,â the memo, dated July 23, 2024, and addressed to the scholarsâ association, read.
According to the memo, the monthly allowances were slashed from $500 to $220; the graduation allowance from $2500 to $2000; and the PG research allowance was slashed from $1,000 to $500, among others.
The total for the payments initially paid was $5,650 per student but will now be $4,370
âThe Scholarsâ Association is hereby notified that due to the prevailing economic situation, the payment mandate for the BEA scholarsâ allowances will be as per the new adjustment.
âThe balances for the years 2023 and 2024 owed to scholars will be paid as soon as the funds are made available,â the ministry said.
Recently, the President of the Union of Nigerian Students under the Federal Government-controlled Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship, Ayuba Anas, said the scholars had not been paid for close to eight months.
Anas said, âFor the past six to eight months, scholars enrolled in various institutions abroad have endured financial strain due to the delay in receiving their stipends.
âIn addition, from the last payments we received (March-August), there was a shortfall of practically two and a half monthsâ payment. Moreover, some students in China have not received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023.â
