The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a clarification on recent claims surrounding Nigerian students in Hungary who allege entitlement to financial support under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship scheme, saying some of the claimants are not officially recognised beneficiaries.
In a statement released on Friday, the government said verification by relevant authorities revealed that certain Nigerian students presenting themselves as BEA scholars in Hungary were never awarded scholarships under the programme. As a result, they are not entitled to BEA-linked benefits such as monthly stipends, loans, or credit facilities.
According to the government, only students who were duly selected, awarded, and properly documented under the BEA framework qualify for financial obligations borne by Nigeria. While acknowledging the support extended by host countries to international students, the government stressed that its responsibilities apply strictly to officially recognised BEA beneficiaries. The clarification, it said, was necessary to curb misinformation and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s scholarship programmes.
Background to the controversy
The clarification comes amid heightened public attention following a petition by a Nigerian postgraduate student in Hungary, Oluwasegun Michael Ogundele, who earlier raised concerns over unpaid allowances. Ogundele, a student of the University of Pannonia, had written to the House Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships, and Higher Education Financing, alleging that he had not received any of his Nigerian government-funded entitlements since commencing his studies in September 2024.
In his petition dated January 5, 2026, Ogundele said the Federal Scholarship Board and the Federal Ministry of Education failed to remit allowances agreed at the inception of his scholarship, despite repeated compliance with all requirements. He listed unpaid benefits including annual supplementation, health insurance, warm clothing allowance, research grants, and a return ticket to Nigeria, which he said amounted to $10,450.
He further disclosed that his survival had depended solely on a modest stipend provided by Hungary’s Tempus Scholarship Foundation, warning that the financial strain had affected his health, academic performance, and mental wellbeing. With his programme ending in late January 2026 and his residence permit expiring shortly after, he appealed for urgent intervention to enable his return home.
Wider debate and political reactions
The petition fed into a broader debate on the state of Nigeria’s BEA programme, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accusing the administration of abandoning Nigerian students abroad. Atiku claimed that about 1,600 students were owed stipends exceeding $6,000 each following what he described as a quiet discontinuation of the scheme.
However, the Federal Government has consistently rejected claims of abandonment. In previous responses, the Ministry of Education explained that no new BEA scholarships were awarded in 2025 following a policy review, which concluded that Nigeria now has adequate domestic capacity to deliver most academic programmes locally. Under the revised approach, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are supported, with host countries bearing the financial burden.
The government also maintained that students enrolled under earlier BEA arrangements would continue to receive support until the completion of their studies, while those wishing to withdraw could apply for reintegration into Nigerian institutions, with return travel costs covered.
Government’s position
In its latest statement, the Federal Government emphasised that the current clarification does not negate the challenges faced by legitimate BEA scholars but is aimed at distinguishing verified beneficiaries from individuals wrongly claiming government sponsorship.
The clarification also echoes a similar position earlier taken by the Federal Government over reports involving abandoned Nigerian students in Morocco, where authorities dismissed the claims under the BEA scheme as misleading. At the time, the government explained that funding obligations applied only to students officially enrolled before the policy review, adding that while some payments were delayed due to fiscal constraints, arrangements were being made to resolve outstanding issues.
Taken together, the Morocco case and the current Hungary clarification underline the government’s stance that only duly awarded and documented BEA scholars qualify for support, as it seeks to curb misinformation while managing reforms to Nigeria’s foreign scholarship programmes.
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