Beneficiaries of FG foreign scholarships lament unpaid eight-month stipends.

Nigerian students in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and elsewhere, on FG scholarships, lament unpaid stipends for eight months. They study under the BEA scholarship, fostering education exchange between Nigeria and partner countries. Supervised by the Federal Scholarship Board, under the Ministry of Education.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ayuba Anas, President of the Union of Nigerian Students on the FG-controlled BEA Scholarship, said scholars hadn’t been paid for almost eight months.

Anas said, “For the past six to eight months, scholars abroad have faced financial strain due to delayed stipends.

“In addition, from the last payments we received (March-August), there was a shortfall of nearly two and a half months’ payment. Moreover, some students in China haven’t received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023.

“This delay has led to dire consequences

“This delay has led to dire consequences, especially for those residing in countries like Morocco, where the country doesn’t have adequate provisions for school hostels, unlike the other sister BEA countries. This means that stipends are crucial for covering basic expenses such as housing, electricity bills, handouts, internet bills, water bills, transportation, and food.

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“Regrettably, some students have faced eviction due to rent struggles, while others tragically fell ill from hunger, needing urgent medical attention. These hardships persist amid the ongoing stipend delay.”

According to Anas, scholars in Russia “struggle with increased living costs, worsened by prolonged stipend delays.”

“Forced to endure financial hardships alongside academic stress, many students are pushed to their breaking point, distracting from their academic goals,” he said.

The students noted they couldn’t take up jobs due to program terms, despite knowing Nigeria’s economic challenges.

They urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene urgently.

“We believe President Tinubu’s intervention in ensuring prompt stipend disbursement will ease our hardships and let us focus on our studies. With his compassionate leadership, we trust swift action will resolve this, allowing us to pursue academics without financial strain.”

No response was received from the Federal Ministry of Education at the time of this report.