The scholars, who are based in Hungary, Morocco, China, Serbia, Algeria, Venezuela, and Russia have faced severe financial hardship due to persistent delays in payments.
The Union of Nigeria Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars (UNBEAS) has made an urgent appeal to President Bola Tinubu for the immediate release of 14 months' worth of stipends owed to Nigerian scholars studying abroad.
The scholars, who are based in Hungary, Morocco, China, Serbia, Algeria, Venezuela, and Russia have faced severe financial hardship due to persistent delays in payments.
In a statement on Tuesday, the union noted that the ongoing delays have pushed many of its members into extreme hardship and forced them to take on strenuous labour to survive.
The statement reads: "House rent and other utilities, food, and transportation have become unaffordable for the average FG scholar who has been owed since July 2023.”
According to the union, the financial strain has had a detrimental effect on their academic performance, with some scholars reportedly attempting suicide and others facing legal threats from landlords and creditors.
The press release also notes that a memo from the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) dated July 23 announced a 56% reduction in the monthly stipends due to domestic exchange rate adjustments.
Despite this adjustment, the reduced amounts have not been received.
"The funds were sent to the CBN for onward transmission to the various embassies, which have not received the payment till date," the union states, adding that efforts to obtain information from the CBN have been unsuccessful.
UNBEAS calls on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to expedite the payment of these reduced stipends and urges the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, to ensure that both the adjusted 2024 stipends and the six months of 2023 stipends owed are released immediately.
"To forsake us now is to condemn us to a life in the shadows," the union warns.
It emphasises that further delays will deepen their suffering and endanger the well-being of the most vulnerable scholars, including orphans and those without support.