The affected students have expressed deep concerns over the significant reduction in their allowances, as announced by the Federal Government, which will impact their welfare in foreign countries.
The government has decided to cut the allowances of foreign scholars stranded in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, and other countries by 12.7 percent due to the country’s economic challenges.
This decision was detailed in a memo from the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
The affected students are beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship, designed for educational exchange between Nigeria and partner countries.
The Federal Scholarship Board, under the Federal Ministry of Education, oversees this scholarship.
The memo stated, “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.”
According to the memo, the monthly supplementation allowances have been reduced from $500 to $220, the PG research allowance from $1,000 to $500, and the passage/graduation allowance from $2,500 to $2,000.
However, the annual warm clothing allowance remains at $250, the health insurance allowance at $200, the pilot allowance at $700, and the medical allowance at $500.
Responding to this development, the scholars pointed out that the government had not released their allowances for over 13 months, forcing them to find alternative means of survival abroad.
One of the affected scholars, Ronald Donald, remarked, “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).”
Commenting on how some of the scholars manage to cope, Donald added, “Normally, the embassy in Russia gives out loans to students in difficulty. They take the money back when FSB pays.”
