The Federal Government has clarified that the inclusion of the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship in the 2026 national budget does not signal a reversal of its earlier decision to discontinue the award of new foreign scholarships under the scheme.
The clarification was conveyed in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, amid public concerns and reports suggesting a contradiction between the policy decision and the scholarship’s presence in the current fiscal document.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, explained that the allocation in question originated from the 2025 national budget, which had already been passed and signed into law before the government halted the processing of new BEA scholarship awards around April and May of that year.
According to the Minister, Nigeria’s budgeting framework does not allow for the retroactive removal of provisions from an already approved budget. As such, the BEA scholarship line remained part of the 2025 fiscal structure.
He further explained that the 2026 budget currently being implemented is largely a roll-over of the 2025 budget, with about 30 percent retained and 70 percent projected into the new fiscal cycle. This process, he noted, accounted for the continued appearance of the BEA allocation in the 2026 budget.
Alausa emphasized that the presence of the scholarship in the budget is purely procedural and does not indicate any reinstatement of the programme for new beneficiaries.
The Ministry added that any adjustment to the BEA allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act would require an approved virement, through which funds could be realigned to reflect current government policies and priorities.
It, however, reassured that Nigerian students currently benefiting from the BEA scholarship and studying abroad will continue to receive full government support in line with existing commitments, stressing that their welfare and academic progress remain a priority.
The Ministry also urged the public to disregard misleading interpretations of budget figures that do not reflect the technical realities of budget formulation and roll-over practices.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the Ministry assured Nigerians that education policies will continue to align with national priorities and the best interests of students.
