Nigeria Ends Overseas Scholarships to Boost Local Education

On August 27, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the termination of funding for new overseas scholarships under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA). Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa stated that the government can no longer justify spending public resources on sending students abroad for programs already available in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

This decision is part of a broader review aimed at eliminating unnecessary expenditures and enhancing the capacity of local universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Alausa expressed concerns over a proposal for approximately 100,000 Nigerian students to study in Morocco, where courses like mass communication and journalism are already offered in Nigeria.

He noted that students would need to spend their first year learning French before starting their programs, making the financial implications unjustifiable. Alausa concluded that continuing the BEA in its previous form would waste public funds, which the current administration aims to avoid.