The Federal Government has announced a 12.7 percent reduction in allowances for foreign scholars stranded in countries like Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, citing economic challenges in Nigeria.
The students, studying under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) Scholarship, expressed concerns about the significant impact this cut would have on their well-being abroad. The BEA Scholarship facilitates educational exchange between Nigeria and partner countries and is overseen by the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) under the Ministry of Education.
The decision was conveyed in a memo signed by Ndajiwo H.A., Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman. The memo stated, “The current domestic exchange rate situation in Nigeria makes it challenging for the Federal Scholarship Board to maintain the payment of BEA scholars’ allowances as initially promised.”
Following consultations, the FSB decided on adjustments aligned with budgetary constraints for the 2024 academic year. The changes include a reduction in monthly supplementation allowances from $500 to $220, postgraduate research allowances from $1,000 to $500, and passage/graduation allowances from $2,500 to $2,000. However, allowances for warm clothing ($250 annually), health insurance ($200), pilot allowances ($700), and medical expenses ($500) remain unchanged.
In response, the scholars highlighted the government’s failure to release their allowances for over 13 months, forcing them to find alternative means of survival. Ronald Donald, one of the affected scholars, remarked, “Students have gone 13 months without stipends, receiving only promises. Now, the FSB has decided to reduce the stipends. For context, living in Russia requires a minimum of $300 to survive, with rising bus fares and hostel prices. In Morocco, students rent apartments starting at $200 a month since no hostels are provided.”
Donald also noted that some scholars had to rely on loans from the Nigerian embassy in Russia, which are repaid once the FSB disburses the funds.
(Vanguard)