FG denies slashing allowances of foreign students stranded in Russia, Morocco, others

By Doris Isreal Ijeoma The Federal Government says it has no plan to slash scholarship students’ allowances as recently projected in the media. The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated this during a meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in Abuja on Friday. There was a report that the ministry, through the Federal Scholarship Board, announced a slash in allowances of foreign scholars stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria among others. The slash in scholars’ allowances under the federal government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship, BEA, was attributed to the economic crises. Mr Mamman said that there was no slash in scholars` allowances but rather an adjustment due to Foreign Exchange fluctuations, FOREX. “We want to clarify what has been in the media on allowances paid to scholars under the Bilateral Scholarship Agreement. “We want to place it on record that the ministry and the Federal Government for that matter have not slashed the allowances due to students. “What happened is some adjustments in the amount due to them because of FOREX fluctuations, and as soon as we get the balance we have applied for, we will pay them. “But for now, what is in the budget is what we can pay. So, there is no slash, we will even be happy to increase, so this is what has led to the adjustments,” he said.

Economic hardship: FG slashes stranded foreign scholars’ allowances

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has announced a slash in allowances of foreign scholars who are currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others by 12.7%. The ministry attributed the development to economic crises.  Nigerian students studying in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and other countries, on the Federal Government’s scholarship lamented their unpaid stipends for eight months running. The students are studying under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship. The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries. The Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education. 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. “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; the graduation allowance from $2500 to $2000; and the PG research allowance was slashed from $1,000 to $500, among others. The total for the payments initially paid was $5,650 per student but will now be $4,370 “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 ministry said.

Visa Ban: UK Universities face Dwindling Income

The United Kingdom’s higher educational institutions are under threat of grievous financial crisis following a significant drop in international student enrollments, cautioned Vivienne Stern, the Chief Executive, Universities UK, the sector’s primary advocacy group. The financial strain is attributed to the recent decision by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who, on January 1, 2024, implemented a ban preventing foreign students from bringing their dependents into the country. Stern expressed concern about the potential for a “serious overcorrection” within the sector, emphasizing that the immigration policies, coupled with discouraging rhetoric, have dissuaded prospective international students from choosing the UK as their study destination. In a statement to the Financial Times, Stern remarked, “If they want to cool things down, that’s one thing, but it seems to me that through a combination of rhetoric, which is off-putting and policy changes…[they have] really turned a whole bunch of people off that would otherwise have come to the UK.” You may recall that UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on January 1, 2024, announced that foreign students have been banned from bringing relatives into the nation.