INTRODUCTION:
The Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Division of the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) is primarily charged with the responsibility of implementing scholarship Awards between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Governments of Countries that have signed Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) with Nigeria.
The countries with Bilateral Education Agreements (BEA) with Nigeria are: –
a. Algeria
b. China
c. Cuba
d. Egypt
e. Hungary
f. Japan
g. Mexico
h. Morocco
i. Romania
j. Russia
k. Serbia
l. South Korea
m. Tunisia
n. Turkey
o. Ukraine,
The scholarship awards are leading to first degrees, Masters and PhD studies. All the countries are non-English speaking, the scholars are made to study in the language of the countries except Hungary.
The Eligibility for BEA Scholarship Awards
i) Postgraduate Scholarship:
All Ph.D and Masters’ Degree applicants should hold a Masters’ Degree and First Degree with First Class (1St Class) or at least Second Class Upper (2:1), respectively. The applicants who are previous recipients of Foreign Awards must have completed at least two (2) years post qualification or employment practices in Nigeria and have completed N.Y.S.C. or obtained an Exemption Certificate where applicable.
The Age limit is 35 years; their certificates must not be more than 5 years. A prove of the willingness of the employer to release applicant (where necessary) is desirable.
ii) Undergraduate Scholarship:
All applicants for undergraduate degree courses must possess a minimum qualification of Five (5) As or Bs in West African Examination Council (WAEC) May/ June Result including English Language and Mathematics at one seating in subjects relevant to candidates intended field of study. The Age of certificates should not be more than one (1) year for African countries and two (2) years for the European countries. The Age limit of the candidates is 18 to 20 years old.
iii) Fields of Study:
a. Natural sciences
b. Technology
c. Engineering
d. Information Technology
e. Medicine and Medicine related courses
f. Environmental science
g. Geology
h. Petroleum related courses
i. Social science
j. Law
k. International Relations
l. Languages, etc.
The activities of the Division include the following:
A. Conduct of Computer Based Test (Nomination Interview/Examination):
i) prior to the conduct of the Computer Based Test (CBT), wide publicity is done through advertisements in the print and electronic media, the NTA, Radio Nigeria, three (3) National Daily Newspapers, Posters, flyers etc;
ii) the first CBT questions and answers are generated by JAMB;
iii) the opening of the FME/FSB website: www.education.gov.ng for the online registrations and applications by interested young Nigerians is done by end of December or early January each year, the website is left open for a period of six (6) weeks and closes before the conduct commences;
iv) the tests are conducted simultaneously on a rotational basis in designated Centers in one state each in the six (6) geo-political zones of Nigeria; and
v) the test results are processed, and the scores ranked based on merit (from highest to the lowest) by JAMB for all candidates in the 36 states and FCT.
B. Inter-Ministerial Nomination Committee:
An Inter-Ministerial Nomination Committee Meeting is convened each year soon after the CBT conduct, the Committee members include the Representatives from the offices of the:-
1. Honourable Minister of Education (HME),
2. Honourable Minister of State for Education (HMSE)
3. Permanent Secretary of Education (PSE)
4. Federal Character Commission (FCC)
5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
6. Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWA & SD)
7. Ministry of National Planning and Budget (MNP & B) and
8. Federal Scholarship Board (FSB)
to consider the results from JAMB in order to obtain a data bank of prospective candidates for consideration by Federal Scholarship Board in response to Note-Verbal’s of offers (Call for Nominations) received from Awarding Countries. The sixteen (16) man committee is chaired by Director Federal Scholarship Board.
C. Oral interviews:
There are also other oral interview sessions convened by donor Embassies’ officials either in the Board or at their Embassies to nominate candidates for final selection by the Governments of those countries for the awards.
D. Briefing/Orientation of Scholars:
i) before the departure of each group of Awardees to their countries of study, pre-departure Briefing sessions are organized by the Board to enlighten and prepare the Scholars and the parents on the expectations and life ahead in foreign countries; and
ii) previous beneficiaries are invited to give first-hand experience and to unveil to the scholars the essence of the awards which are considered as rare privileges in view of the teeming young Nigerians competing for the opportunities; and
iii) at the briefing awards letters are given to beneficiaries and necessary documentations ensured.
E. Remittance/Servicing of on-going Scholars:
Supplementation and other allowances of BEA Scholars currently studying in various countries are normally paid when fund is released and made available to CBN in dollars ($) for remittance to Nigerian Embassies in host countries for disbursement to the scholars. The Board in liaison with Federal Ministry of Education facilitates the process.
F. Verification/Monitoring of Scholars:
A high level Ministerial delegation goes on Verification Exercise to monitor the academic progress, welfare and accounts records of BEA Scholars in some of the countries especially where our scholars have unresolved issues pertaining to their scholarship awards. During these visits necessary counselling and supports are rendered accordingly. Consultations with relevant partners in countries visited are engaged and all vital documents to enhance the scholarship implementation process in Nigeria are also obtained.
Value of the Award:
i) Federal Government commitment:
a. Supplementation allowances of $6,000 per annum for both Postgraduates and Undergraduates to augment feeding local transport, maintenance, equipment/books;
b. Warm clothing allowances for all scholars @ $250 per annum;
c. Health Insurance for all scholars @ $200 per annum;
d. Take-off grant for all Postgraduate scholars @ N100,000.00 once before departure;
e. Take-off grant for all Undergraduate scholars @ N60,000.00 once before departure;
f. Postgraduates’ research grant of $1,000 per annum;
g. Medical allowance of $500 per annum for scholars of General Medicine; and
h. Passages in form of one-way ticket to the country of study and the sum of $2,500 paid to graduating scholars at the end of the course by the Nigerian Mission in host country for return air-ticket and other incidentals for smooth transition back to home country.
ii) Donor Countries Commitment: Tuition fees and Accommodation.