Nigerian students studying in countries like Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and others on the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship (BEA) have been experiencing unpaid stipends for eight months.

The Federal Scholarship Board, under the Federal Ministry of Education, has slashed the monthly allowances from $500 to $220, the graduation allowance from $2500 to $2000, and the PG research allowance from $1,000 to $500.

The total payments initially paid per student will now be $4,370. The Federal Scholarship Board has attributed the change to economic crises and will pay the balances for the years 2023 and 2024 owed to scholars as soon as funds are made available. The Union of Nigerian Students under the Federal Government-controlled Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship, Ayuba Anas, has also reported that the scholars have not been paid for close to eight months.