In a letter dated January 5, 2026 and addressed to the Chairman of the House Committee, Oluwasegun Michael Ogundele, a BEA scholar at the University of Pannonia, said he has not received any of the financial entitlements promised to him since the start of his studies in September 2024.
A Nigerian postgraduate student studying in Hungary under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme has petitioned the House Committee on Student Loans, Scholarships, and Higher Education Financing, raising urgent concerns over unpaid scholarship allowances and the imminent expiration of his residence permit.
In a letter dated January 5, 2026 and addressed to the Chairman of the House Committee, Oluwasegun Michael Ogundele, a BEA scholar at the University of Pannonia, said he has not received any of the financial entitlements promised to him since the start of his studies in September 2024.
Ogundele, whose scholarship is funded through an agreement between the Nigerian and Hungarian governments, said the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) and the Federal Ministry of Education have failed to remit his approved allowances despite repeated compliance with all requirements.
“Since the commencement of my studies in September 2024, the Federal Scholarship Board has failed to fulfil any part of the agreement and totally refused to remit my approved entitlements, despite repeated compliance with all requirements and continuous communication,” he wrote.
“These allowances were clearly stipulated at the inception of my study and form the basis upon which the scholarship was accepted.”
He detailed the entitlements owed to him, including a $6,000 annual supplementation allowance, a $250 warm clothing allowance, $200 health insurance, a take-off grant of N100,000, a $1,000 postgraduate research grant, and a return ticket to Nigeria. According to Ogundele, the non-payment of these funds has subjected him to “severe financial hardship, emotional trauma, and deteriorating living conditions.”
The scholar explained that his survival over the past 18 months has depended solely on a meagre stipend of 43,700 HUF (about 110 Euros) per month from the Hungarian government’s Tempus Scholarship Foundation.
“This situation has resulted in periodic illness, psychological distress, and constant anxiety about survival, all of which have adversely affected my well-being and academic focus,” he said.
“It seriously affected my academic performance and mental health throughout my study period.”
Ogundele also warned that with his programme set to conclude on January 30, 2026, and his residence permit expiring the following day, he lacks the financial means to purchase a return ticket to Nigeria.
“Additionally, my passage allowance of $2500 is not likely to be paid this January. This further exacerbated my trauma and fears of suffering in a foreign land,” he said, noting that he has not engaged in any paid employment during his studies in adherence to scholarship regulations.
In his petition, Ogundele called for urgent intervention by the House Committee to secure payment of all outstanding allowances, which he said totals $10,450, inclusive of his passage allowance.
“In view of the foregoing, I respectfully request the immediate payment of all my outstanding scholarship entitlements, as agreed with the Federal Scholarship Board at the inception of my study: Monthly stipend of $500 x 13 months (January 2025 – January 2026) = $6500; Warm clothing allowances = $250; Health insurance = $200; Post graduate research grant = $1000; Passage allowance = $2500,” he wrote.
“The total outstanding sum amounts to $10,450 inclusive of my passage allowance back to Nigeria.”
The scholar further highlighted the wider plight of Nigerian students abroad under the BEA scheme, claiming that some have died or resorted to menial jobs to survive.
He said, “I must confess to you that many of Nigerian scholars abroad on the BEA Scholarship arrangements are hugely suffering; we have lost some students to the cold hands of death because they could not cope with the mental stress and the unfortunate sickness that took their lives.
“Some of us have even resulted into self-help by doing slavery jobs – Nigerian students on the BEA scholarship arrangements have no dignity abroad – we are being looked down by our colleagues as poor and suffering Nigerians – a morale that has discouraged us from considering ourselves as ambassadors of Nigeria. The suffering imposed on us by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Scholarship Board is unimaginable!”
Ogundele praised past efforts by the Committee to investigate mismanagement of scholarship funds and appealed for swift action to protect the welfare of Nigerian scholars.
“I trust in the Committee’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of Nigerian scholars abroad and ensuring that the terms of government-sponsored scholarship agreements are honored. I will really appreciate your swift response and actions,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of abandoning Nigerian students studying abroad under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship scheme, describing the situation as cruel, negligent and damaging to Nigeria’s international obligations.
Atiku stated this in a statement on Sunday, saying he had been “well briefed” on the plight of Nigerian students stranded overseas following what he described as the quiet discontinuation of the BEA programme.
The BEA scheme, introduced in 1993 and revitalised in 1999, enables Nigerian students to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies in partner countries through bilateral agreements between Nigeria and host nations.
According to Atiku, the programme was initially presented as a temporary five-year suspension under the current administration but later degenerated into “outright abandonment,” leaving about 1,600 Nigerian students abroad without financial support.
He said the affected students are owed stipends amounting to more than $6,000 each, adding that repeated appeals for payment had been ignored by the authorities.
The Federal Government has dismissed claims that Nigerian students studying in Morocco under the Bilateral Education Scholarship Programme had been abandoned, describing the reports as false and misleading.
Some students had alleged that they were left without financial support despite being recruited to train as doctors for Nigeria’s healthcare system, with instances of expulsion and medical emergencies, including a case requiring urgent surgery.
In response, the Federal Ministry of Education clarified that all students enrolled under the programme before 2024 received funding in line with government obligations for that budget year.
According to the ministry, while some payments were delayed, temporary fiscal constraints and outstanding allowances are being addressed through ongoing coordination with the Ministry of Finance.
The ministry also confirmed that no new bilateral scholarships were awarded in 2025, following a policy review which concluded that Nigeria now has sufficient capacity in domestic universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to provide the relevant programmes locally.
Under the revised policy, only scholarships fully funded by foreign governments are supported, with financial responsibilities borne by the host countries.
Despite the policy change, the government said it remains committed to students already enrolled under previous arrangements, ensuring continued support until they complete their studies.
It noted that students wishing to discontinue their studies abroad may apply to the Department of Scholarship Awards for reintegration into Nigerian institutions, with the government covering return travel costs.
The Ministry of Education explained that the reforms were intended to reduce avoidable financial strain on public resources, as past practices of sponsoring overseas training for courses already available domestically placed unnecessary burdens on the nation.