Parents Besiege Nigeria’s Finance Ministry as Foreign Scholarship Allowance Crisis Hits 16 Months

A tense protest unfolded at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday as parents of Nigerian students studying abroad on government scholarships sealed off the ministry’s main entrance over unpaid allowances.

The angry crowd demanded the immediate release of overdue stipends meant for their children, many of whom are beneficiaries of Nigeria’s Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) and other federal scholarship schemes.

According to the protesters, the affected students have gone 16 months without receiving their statutory payments, while an additional eight-month shortfall remains unresolved. Families say the situation has pushed many of the students into severe hardship, with reports of some struggling to afford housing, food, and essential academic needs in their host countries.

A spokesperson for the protesting parents accused government officials of “abandoning young Nigerians who were sent abroad to represent the nation academically,” warning that the crisis is jeopardising their children’s well-being and progress.

As of the time of filing this report, the Ministry of Finance had yet to issue a formal response.