70 Students on BEA Scholarships Were Dispatched to China, Russia by FG
The Federal Government has dispatched a total of 70 indigent Nigerian students, who bagged the 2012 Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarships to China and Russia.
The students bagged the scholarships under the Bilateral Educational Agreement between Nigeria and 21 other foreign countries.
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i, who spoke in Abuja, at the orientation preceding the departure of the students, on Wednesday, urged them to work hard and be of good conduct in order to excel in their studies.
Rufa'i noted that there was significant increase in the scholarship awards this year, in spite of the global downturn, saying a total of 210 scholarship offers had been issued to Nigerian students by the development partners for the 2012/2013 academic session.
"Out of this, four beneficiaries have since arrived China to study Medicine. Today, we are here for the departure of 70 scholars to China and Russia," she said.
According to her, the government had, in a bid to strengthen bilateral agreement with development partners and develop manpower needs, in 1999, revitalised the federal scholarship scheme by investing more in both national and international programmes.
Rufa'i said as of 2012, Russia had increased the number of offers to 70 annually, while China maintained 25 at every instance.
Other countries, which had also continuously issue scholarship offers to Nigeria annually, according to the minister, are Cuba, China, Japan, Morocco, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Romania and Algeria.
The Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Mrs Hindatu Abdullahi, said Nigeria would have lost about 153 slots to the keen contest by other competing countries, but for the timely intervention of the Federal Government.
Abdullahi said for the 2012 fiscal year, N968,146,476 was approved by Government to service the scheme both at home and abroad.
She explained that under the agreement, the host countries would bear the cost of tuition and accommodation as well as provide a "little” stipend for the students, while Nigeria would provide warm clothing and monthly allowances, pay the travel and administrative expenses and feeding costs.
She noted that the scheme was meant for brilliant and indigent Nigerians whose parents could not afford to sponsor them to study abroad.
The director said that all the beneficiaries had distinctions at one sitting in the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) or National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.
She urged the students to make very good use of the opportunity offered by the Federal Government to study and preserve the good image of the country.
"There would be no room for extension of scholarship awards owing to incompetence," she said.
Abdullahi said apart from the 70 scholars departing on Thursday night, four others had left for Cuba to study medicine. (NAN)
Source: Nigerian Tribune and Punch
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