Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of breaching Nigeria’s bilateral education agreements and abandoning more than 1,600 scholarship students overseas. He described the situation of the affected scholars as a national disgrace, alleging that many are facing hunger, eviction and severe hardship in their host countries.
In a statement shared on his social media pages, Atiku claimed that students under the Bilateral Education Agreement scheme have gone months without receiving their stipends. He said monthly allowances were first cut by over half and then stopped altogether in 2025, leaving each student reportedly owed thousands of dollars in arrears.
The BEA programme, launched in the 1990s, is based on education pacts with countries such as Russia, China, Morocco and Hungary. Atiku argued that failing to honour these obligations not only endangers students’ welfare but also damages Nigeria’s credibility under international agreements.
He said many parents have been forced to sell property and go into debt to prevent their children from dropping out or being thrown out of accommodation. Atiku criticised what he called “cold technocratic explanations” from officials and faulted suggestions that frustrated students could simply return home after years of study abroad.
Atiku also pointed to what he sees as a policy contradiction. He noted that while longstanding BEA scholarships for Nigerians have been cut back or halted, the government has simultaneously announced new scholarship schemes for foreign students from the Caribbean to study in Nigeria.
Student groups and the National Association of Nigerian Students have recently raised alarm over unpaid stipends and alleged mismanagement of scholarship funds. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have opened inquiries into complaints from stranded scholars and their families.
The presidency and relevant ministries are yet to issue a detailed public response to Atiku’s latest allegations. Officials, however, have previously cited fiscal pressures and foreign exchange constraints as major challenges in funding overseas programmes at current levels.
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