Nigeria, May 3 -- The Nigerian government has temporarily suspended the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship programme.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, the suspension will last for the next five years.

The suspension comes amid a dispute between the education ministry and the recipients of its BEA scholarship over unpaid stipends.

While the education ministry maintained that the stipends had been paid up until December 2024, the scholars maintained they are owed four-month stipends from 2023 and other differentials for 2024.

The scholars, under the Union of Nigerian Bilateral Education AGreement Scholars (UNBEAS), also said they haven't ...