Parents of student beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Scholarship Programme have staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja over the non-payment of 16 months of arrears of living allowances.

READ ALSO: ASUU Warns Of Fresh Crisis, Says FG Not Prioritising Education

They occupied the entrance of the ministry with placards.

The Federal Government’s BEA is a fully funded initiative that allows Nigerian students to study abroad in partner countries like Russia, China, Hungary, and Morocco.

The programme covers tuition, accommodation, and medical care, while also providing a living allowance of $500 monthly for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The allowance was, however, slashed to $220 per student per month in 2024.

The protesters said the government’s inability to meet its obligations had made many of the beneficiaries stranded in their respective countries of studies.