Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of abandoning Nigerian students studying overseas under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA), claiming that about 1,600 students have been left stranded without support. He said the scholarship scheme was quietly discontinued without notice to parents or students already midway through their studies
Atiku explained that the BEA, which began in 1993 and was revitalised in 1999, was intended to enable Nigerian students to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate education through partnerships with foreign governments. Describing the program as a âdiplomatic bridge,â he said the suspension of the scheme has turned temporary hardship into outright abandonment.
He further alleged that students have gone without stipends, with outstanding allowances running into thousands of dollars per student. Between September and December 2023, stipends were unpaid, and in 2024 allowances were cut by 56 per centâfrom $500 to $220 monthlyâbefore being stopped entirely. No payments were made throughout 2025, leaving many students facing hunger, rent arrears, and severe hardship.
Atiku cited a tragic case in Morocco where a student reportedly died in November 2025 due to the financial strain, turning silent suffering into public grief. He also criticised remarks attributed to the education minister suggesting that students who were âfed upâ could be financed to return home, calling the comment insensitive and dismissive of years of study and sacrifice.
The former vice president said parents and students had protested in Abuja, appealing to the Ministries of Education and Finance for answers, but their concerns were largely ignored. He warned that Nigerian scholars abroad are waiting not only for overdue stipends but also for reassurance that their country has not abandoned them.
