Nigeria Reviews Foreign Scholarship Schemes for Efficiency

Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria is reviewing its foreign scholarship and bilateral education arrangements. He emphasized that the government can no longer justify spending public funds on sending students abroad for courses already available in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

This decision aims to eliminate unnecessary expenditures and strengthen domestic educational institutions. Alausa recalled a proposal for about 100,000 Nigerian students to study in Morocco, which raised concerns due to the need for students to learn French before starting their programs, despite similar courses being offered in Nigeria.

He asserted that supporting students abroad is an inefficient use of resources, and the government concluded that the existing Bilateral Education Agreement was wasteful. Alausa mentioned that foreign countries could continue sponsoring Nigerian students without requiring financial support from the Nigerian government, as the circumstances justifying large numbers of students studying abroad have significantly changed.