Parents Of Students Studying Abroad Block Finance Ministry, Protest Unpaid Allowances

Parents of Nigerian students studying abroad on federal government scholarships on Monday barricaded the entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding the immediate release of long-overdue allowances owed to their children.

The enraged parents said their children — beneficiaries of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) and other federal scholarship schemes — have been abandoned for 16 months, with an additional eight-month shortfall still unsettled.

They accused the government of gross neglect, stressing that the prolonged non-payment had plunged many of the scholars into severe financial distress.

The BEA scholars had, since the beginning of the year, been lamenting the non-payment of their stipends for eight months, following a controversial cut in their monthly allowance from US$500 to US$220, which officials attributed to budget constraints.

The July 23, 2024 memo announcing the cuts promised that outstanding arrears for 2023 and 2024 would be cleared “as soon as funds are made available.”

But months after, nothing has changed.

The Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS) had repeatedly raised the alarm over the worsening hardship, noting that the reduced stipends were no longer sufficient to cover essentials such as accommodation, feeding, transportation, and medical expenses.

The situation, they said, now threatens both the well-being and academic performance of the students abroad.

During Monday’s protest, parents demanded accountability from both the Finance and Education ministries, insisting that the government must urgently clear all 16-month arrears plus the additional eight-month deficit.

They warned that continued inaction would worsen the humanitarian situation and damage Nigeria’s reputation with countries participating in the bilateral education programmes.

Olamilekan Adigun

Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.

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