Stranded Foreign Scholars Laments As FG Slashes Allowances

The government’s decision to slash the scholars’ allowances 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, 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.”