Nigerian students studying abroad on scholarship are unhappy about not receiving their stipends from the Federal Government for the past 11 months.
The students, who are part of the Union Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars, expressed their financial difficulties and how it has impacted their academic performance in a statement seen on Sunday.
“Some students in China have not been paid since they arrived in April and May 2023. In Russia, students are struggling due to increased living costs caused by sanctions.
The pattern of delayed payments has been ongoing for years, shifting our focus from academics to survival, as we worry about our next meal, daily transport, pending payments, medical expenses, and housing,” the statement partly read.
BEA scholarship is for educational exchange between Nigeria and partner countries.
The scholarship is managed by the Federal Scholarship Board under the Federal Ministry of Education.
Despite reaching out to the government through their respective embassies and the Federal Scholarship Board, their pleas have gone unanswered.
They also highlighted their poor living conditions in the countries they study in.
For example, they criticized the inadequate accommodation provisions in countries like Venezuela and Morocco, which forces them to rent apartments and pay monthly.
In a video posted on Sunday by Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora, a woman who is believed to be the landlord of some students can be seen expressing concern about their conditions.
“It's distressing to see your situation,” she lamented.
When a student requested more time to sort out their rent arrears, she replied, “It's no longer my concern. Our agreement was for you to pay monthly. I've had enough of this.”
In another video, a person named Anka, who identified as an estate agent, urged the Nigerian government to assist the students.
“It's been a while since they paid their rent. Every time I meet them, they tell me they'll pay this month or next month. But I haven't received anything so far.
Please do something for these children. These apartments belong to other people, and they want their money,” she pleaded.
To emphasize their demands, the affected students staged a protest, as shown in one of the videos.
Their placards had various messages, including “FG Nigeria, help us. Nine months, no money”, “Scholarship not hardship”, and “BEA scholarship students in financial distress,” among others.
No official from the Federal Ministry of Education responded to inquiries about the matter when our correspondent reached out.
