The Federal Government is reviewing its foreign scholarship and bilateral education arrangements as part of efforts to reduce unnecessary expenditure and channel more resources into strengthening tertiary education in Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government was no longer convinced that public funds should be used to sponsor students abroad for courses that are already available in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Alausa explained that the review was aimed at ensuring better value for public funds while improving the capacity and quality of Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The minister had earlier maintained that the Federal Government would not reverse its decision to scrap the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme, arguing that many of the courses previously covered by the scheme could be studied locally.
The BEA scheme, which was established through agreements with several foreign governments, had supported Nigerian students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies overseas. However, the Federal Government said the programme had been abused and had become too costly to sustain in its previous form.
In May 2026, the government also announced plans to settle outstanding obligations to affected beneficiaries, with Alausa saying N8 billion would be provided to clear the backlog.
The Federal Ministry of Education has continued to advertise some foreign scholarship opportunities, particularly programmes funded by foreign governments at no cost to Nigeria. This suggests that the government’s position is focused on reviewing or limiting government-funded overseas sponsorship rather than ending every international scholarship opportunity available to Nigerians.
The minister’s latest position comes amid broader efforts by the Federal Government to improve funding, research, infrastructure and academic standards in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Alausa has also highlighted the need to make Nigerian universities more competitive and capable of producing graduates with the skills required by the modern economy.
The Federal Government believes redirecting resources towards local institutions could strengthen domestic capacity, reduce dependence on foreign education and provide better value for taxpayers’ money.
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