Thursday, July 25, 2024-Nigerian students studying abroad under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement, BEA, Scholarship are lamenting after the FG announced a slash in their allowance due to economic hardship in the country.
The allowances of the scholars
currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others, were slashed
by 12.7 per cent.
The government’s decision was
contained in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board,
Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman.
The students are studying under the
Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement, BEA, Scholarship which
was established for education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering
countries.
The Federal Scholarship Board, FSB,
is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The memo read: "I am directed to
inform you that the prevailing situation concerning the domestic exchange rate
in Nigeria makes it difficult for the Federal Scholarship Board to sustain the
payment of Bilateral Agreement, BEA, scholars’ allowances as contained in the
award letters issued at the point of departure to the host countries.
"After due consultations, the
Federal Scholarship Board, FSB, has come up with adjustments in line with
budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholar’s supplementation allowances
for the 2024 academic year."
Based on the memo, supplementation
allowances per month are slashed from $500 to $220; PG research allowance from
$1,000 to $500; and passage/graduation allowance from $2,500 to $2,000.
However, the warm clothing allowance
per annum remained unchanged at $250; the health insurance allowance $200; the
pilot allowance $700; and the medical allowance $500.
Reacting to the development
yesterday, July 24, the scholars noted that the government had failed to
release their allowances for over 13 months, leaving them to source for their
means of survival in foreign countries.
One of the affected scholars, Ronald
Donald, said: "Firstly, students have stayed 13 months without stipends,
just promises upon promises.
"Now, the only thing the FSB
could come up with is to reduce the stipends. Let me give you an idea of how
living in Russia and Morocco looks like;
"In Russia, a student needs a
minimum of $300 to survive. The bus fares are expensive, and the hostel prices
are up. Bread used to be sold for 70 rubbles is now 120 rubbles. In Morocco,
the students don’t have hostels provided for them. As such, they rent
apartments (at a starting price of $200 a month)."
Speaking on how some of the stranded
scholars were surviving, Donald said: "Normally, the embassy in Russia
gives out loans to students in difficulty. They take the money back when FSB
pays."
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