The Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has announced a 12.7% reduction in allowances for Nigerian scholarship students stranded abroad in countries such as Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, and Hungary.
This cut was communicated by the Federal Ministry of Education and is attributed to adjustments necessitated by the current economic crisis in Nigeria.
The affected students are beneficiaries of the Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) Scholarship, designed to foster educational exchange.
They have reportedly been experiencing unpaid stipends for the past eight months.
The Federal Ministry of Education's Federal Scholarship Board oversees the scholarship.
The reduction was detailed in a memo signed by Ndajiwo H.A., the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
Dated July 23, 2024, and addressed to the scholars' association, the memo outlined reductions: monthly allowances decreased from $500 to $220, graduation allowances from $2500 to $2000, and postgraduate research allowances from $1,000 to $500.
Overall, these payments, which previously totaled $5,650 per student, will now amount to $4,370.
"The Scholars’ Association is hereby informed that, due to the current economic circumstances, the payment structure for BEA scholars’ allowances will adhere to these new adjustments," the memo stated.
The ministry assured that outstanding balances for the years 2023 and 2024 will be settled as soon as funding becomes available.
Ayuba Anas, President of the Union of Nigerian Students under the scholarship, previously expressed concerns about the delays, noting that scholars have endured financial strain, with some not receiving stipends since arriving in China in April and May 2023.
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