Federal Government has slashed the allowances of foreign scholars currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, among others, by 12.7 per cent, provoking the condemnation of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The government attributed its decision to the current economic crises.
But the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has described the decision as insensitive, and called on government to reverse the decision with immediate effect.
Recall that recently, Nigerian students in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and other countries, on the Federal Government’s scholarship, had lamented their unpaid stipends for eight months.
The students are studying under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement (BEA) Scholarship.
The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries, while the Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The decision was contained in a memo dated July 23, 2024, signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, H.A. Ndajiwo, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
“After due consultations, the Federal Scholarship Board has come up with adjustments in line with budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholar’s supplementation allowances for the 2024 academic year,” the memo, dated July 23, 2024 and addressed to the scholars’ association, read.
According to the memo, the monthly allowances were slashed from $500 to $220; graduation allowance from $2,500 to $2,000; and the PG research allowance from $1,000 to $500, among others.
The total amount initially payable to each student was $5,650, but it will now be $4,370 per scholar.
“The Scholars’ Association is hereby notified that due to the prevailing economic situation, the payment mandate for the BEA scholars’ allowances will be as per the new adjustment.
“The balances for the years 2023 and 2024 owed to scholars will be paid as soon as the funds are made available,” the Board stated.
But in its reaction, NANS described the decision as insensitive, calling on government to reverse the decision with immediate effect
In a chat with The Guardian, NANS President, Lucky Emonefe, explained that in his various engagements with the Education Minister, the issue of cutting the allowances of scholars abroad never came up.
He said: “We are not in support of the slash. We were not consulted. The Nigerian government has bogus budget for other frivolities: housing allowance, travelling allowance, and buying vehicles. Why will they be slashing the money of students? We are totally against that. They said it’s the economic situation but they are living large. Government officials are travelling. Why didn’t they stop overseas travel,” he queried, among others.
