TDF Accuses Atiku of Spreading Falsehood Over BEA Scholarships
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Democratic Front (TDF) has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of spreading false information to discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the Federal Government’s decision on the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) foreign scholarship scheme.
In a statement obtained by INCNews247 on Tuesday and signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammadu, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group said Atiku relied on what it described as misleading content generated by social media influencers to accuse the Tinubu administration of abandoning Nigerian students studying abroad.
TDF said its findings showed that claims that Nigerian students on BEA scholarships in Morocco had been abandoned by the Federal Government were false and deliberately crafted to tarnish the image of the government.
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“Our investigation revealed that the allegations of abandonment of Nigerian students on foreign scholarship in Morocco are not only false but also intended to smear the Tinubu administration,” the statement said.
The group explained that the Federal Government had, since April 2025, discontinued the BEA foreign scholarship scheme as part of reforms aimed at strengthening Nigerian universities and investing more resources in the local tertiary education system.
According to TDF, the foreign scholarship programme had been a long-standing issue between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and successive governments, with concerns over the continuous spending of scarce resources on a few beneficiaries abroad.
“It is irresponsible for any government to continue expending millions of dollars annually on foreign scholarships for a limited number of students to study courses that are already available in Nigerian universities,” the group said.
TDF added that the policy was rightly reviewed at a time when the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is supporting thousands of students to pursue similar courses within the country.
The group commended the Tinubu administration for what it described as a well-considered decision to scrap the BEA scholarship scheme, saying the move would help redirect funds towards improving local institutions.
It also welcomed a statement by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, which debunked claims circulating on social media regarding alleged non-payment of allowances to Nigerian students on BEA scholarships in Morocco.
TDF described Atiku’s comments on the issue as unfortunate and urged the former Vice President to exercise caution and carry out due diligence before making public statements on sensitive national issues.
