The union of the Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEA) has urged president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Ministry of Education to reconsider the drastic stipend reduction in their allowances.
Their statement called for the maintenance of current financial support to ensure their continued academic success.
The union rejected the proposed reduction in monthly allowances paid to overseas BEA scholars, as communicated in a letter from the Minister of Education through the director federal scholarship board dated 23rdJuly 2024.
“We also aim to clarify and refute the false information circulating regarding the percentage of the reduction.
“The Minister of Education’s recent decision to reduce the monthly allowances by a staggering 56% has raised significant concern and alarm among our scholars and their families. Contrary to the misleading reports suggesting a 12.7% reduction, the actual figure is much higher and poses a severe threat to the financial stability and academic success of our scholars abroad.
“The BEA Scholarship is a bilateral agreement whereby the host country pays the scholar’s tuition fees, while the Nigerian government pays each scholar a monthly stipend of $500 to cover basic living expenses such as housing, water and electricity bills, food, transportation, and educational materials, all of which are often significantly higher abroad.
“Students have had to endure over 13 months without payment from the FG, causing severe hardship, with many being evicted from their homes by their landlords,while others have barely been able to eat once a day. Sadly, there are no part-time jobs in most of these countries, and where there are, the student VISA and scholarship rules do not allow them.
“Therefore, a 56% reduction would place an insurmountable financial burden on us, possibly forcing some to abandon their studies and, in the case of the young ladies, to resort to prostitution or illegal activities to support themselves,” the statement reads.
The scholars said the accurate reduction figure is 56%, not 12.7% as some reports have incorrectly stated.
“It is crucial for the public to be accurately informed about the severity of this decision and its potential consequences.The monthly stipend is reduced from 500 USD to 220 USD amounting to a 56% reduction.
“Other items as stated in the letter such as warm clothing, medical, piloting, health insurance, PG research and graduation allowances are paid to on an annual basis and only to some certain scholars.
“We urge our listening President, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the Ministry of Education to reconsider this drastic reduction and to maintain the current level of financial support. By doing so, we can ensure that we continue to excel academically and represent our country with distinction.”
