Tinubu’s Government Says BEA Program Is Discontinued, Yet Budgets N2 Billion for Fresh 300 Scholars

A user on X has sparked outrage after sharing a desperate plea from Nigerian medical and engineering students studying in Russia under a government scholarship. According to the post, the students claim the Nigerian government has abandoned them financially, leaving them to survive through menial labor in a foreign country.

The students, beneficiaries of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) signed between Nigeria and Russia, said they have not received their stipends in months, with some reporting unpaid allowances of up to 11 months. Under the BEA agreement, Russia covers tuition and accommodation, while Nigeria is responsible for monthly upkeep stipends, health insurance, and other basic allowances designed to keep the scholars afloat. However, the students allege that shortly after arrival, the financial support stopped, forcing them into construction sites, warehouses, and security jobs to avoid hunger and eviction.

One male student, speaking on behalf of colleagues, said, “We were sent here under a government agreement. But since arrival, we’ve been left stranded. We now do whatever we can to survive”. A female student’s account revealed an even darker dimension, with some young women reportedly forced into prostitution to make ends meet.

Again, something i have been talking about. The government came out last year to say that they have discontinued the BEA program. The minister himself made the statement. And yet in this year’s budget, they allocated almost 2 billion naira for fresh 300 BEA scholars. https://t.co/LP8XjhMDf9

— Nans (@nansbello) April 27, 2026

While those students struggle abroad, confusion surrounds the future of the BEA program in Nigeria. In April 2025, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the discontinuation of the scheme, branding it a “wasteful” allocation of public funds meant to be redirected toward strengthening local institutions. The minister also criticized the students, accusing some of using “embarrassing social media blackmail” to highlight their delayed stipends.

However, critics point to a glaring contradiction. Despite the government’s official stance, the 2026 budget quietly allocates an estimated N2 billion to fund 300 fresh BEA scholarships. This budget line includes N1.764 billion designated specifically for the “conduct and implementation of fresh 300 scholarships to Nigerians” to study under the BEA program. An additional N5.6 billion is also set aside to service over 1,500 ongoing scholars, the very students now stranded abroad.

For the students in Russia, the academic dreams that earned them placements through extremely competitive exams are fading. With empty stomachs and mounting debts, their appeal to President Bola Tinubu grows more urgent by the day. As the government remains publicly silent, the world watches these young Nigerians fight for survival instead of shaping their futures.

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