NIGERIANS studying abroad on scholarship have lamented the non-payment of their stipends for the past 11 months by the Federal Government.
The students, under the Union Nigerian Bilateral Education Agreement Scholars, in a statement sighted by a correspondent on Sunday, stated that the situation has left them in serious financial hardships which have also affected their academic performances.
“Some students in China have not received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023. In Russia, students are struggling with the increased cost of living due to sanctions.
“This pattern of delayed payments has persisted for years, diverting our focus from academic pursuits to survival (contemplating our next meal, daily transport, pending payments, medical expenses, and housing.),” the statement read in part.
The BEA scholarship is for education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries.
The scholarship scheme is being supervised by the Federal Scholarship Board under the Federal Ministry of Education.
They added that despite efforts to get their message to the government through respective embassies and the Federal Scholarship Board, their pleas have been left unresolved.
They also noted their abysmal living conditions in the countries of study.
For instance, they decried the situation in countries like Venezuela and Morrocco where there are no adequate provisions for accommodation, thereby forcing the students to take apartments and pay rent every month.
In context, in a video posted on Sunday by Nigerian Scholars in Diaspora, a woman believed to be the landlady of some of the students could be seen lamenting their conditions.
“It gives me your headache your situation,” she lamented.
When one of the students pleaded for more time to sort out their rent arrears, she responded, ” It no longer concerns me. Our agreement was for you to pay monthly. I have had enough of this.”
In another video, Anka who said she is an estate agent, is seen calling on the Nigerian government to come to the aid of the students.
“It’s been a while since they paid their rent. Anytime, I meet them, they tell me this month or next month. Up till now, I have received nothing.
“Please do something for these children. These apartments belong to other people and they are asking for their money,” she pleaded
To drive home their demands, the affected students staged a protest as seen in one of the videos.
Their placards had several captions, including “FG Nigeria, help us. Nine months no money”, “Scholarship not hardship, “BEA scholarship students in financial distress,” among others
No official at the Federal Ministry of Education replied to inquiries by our correspondent on the matter at the time of filing this report.