Federal Government Scholarship For BEA 2023/2024 | Apply Here

Did you miss the application of the Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) for the previous years due to one reason or the other? Have you been looking for a scholarship from the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria?

Do you desire for an opportunity to study abroad? If your answers to any those cases are yes, then you have to grab this opportunity immediately.

The Federal Ministry of Education under the leadership of The Honourable Minister of Education (HME), Mallam Adamu Adamu, is by this information officially invites all interested and qualified Nigerians to participate in the 2023/2024 Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA)

The portal for the application of the Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) for the 2023/2024 is now open. All those who have been looking for this kind of opportunity and are qualified for the scholarship are enjoined to start processing their respective applications.

The purpose of this article is to convey the information to the general public including you, relate some of the relevant information about the Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) and guide you on the procedures that are involved in the application.

Kindly read this article to the end if you are interested in the scholarship.

About the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) scholarship

The Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) Division of the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) is primarily charged with the responsibility of implementing scholarship Awards to Nigerian citizens between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Governments of other Countries who have signed Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) with Nigeria.

The scholarship is for First Degree, Masters Degree and Doctorate Degree programmes

Countries In Bilateral Education Agreements (BEA) With Nigeria

Under the bilateral education agreement (BEA), the following countries have signed agreements with Nigeria:  

1. Algeria
2. China
3. Cuba
4. Egypt
5. Hungary
6. Japan
7. Mexico
8. Morocco
9. Romania
10. Russia
11. Serbia
12. South Korea
13. Tunisia
14. Turkey
15. Ukraine

Undergraduate (UG) programmes are taken in Russia, Morocco, Hungary and Egypt; 

Postgraduate (PG) programmes are taken in Russia (for those whose first degrees   were obtained from Russia), China, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania.

Note that all the countries are non-English speaking; as a result, the scholars are made to study in the language of the countries except Hungary. This language study can be taken as the first thing during the first year before embarking on the major programmes.

Requirements for the Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA)

Undergraduate Scholarships:

• All applicants for undergraduate degree courses must possess a minimum qualification of Seven (7) Distinctions (As & Bs) in the Senior Secondary School Certificates, WASSCE/WAEC (May/June) only in the subjects relevant to their fields of study including English Language and Mathematics.
• Certificates should not be more than two (2) years old (2020 & 2021) for Non-African Countries and for African countries the age of certificate is one year (2021) only.
• Age limit is from 18 to 20 years.

Postgraduate Scholarships:

• All applicants for Postgraduate degree courses must hold a First Degree with 1st Class or at least 2^nd  Class Upper Division (2:1) 
• 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.
• Their certificates must not be more than 5 years.
• All applicants must have completed N.Y.S.C. Programme and
• The age limit is 35 years for Masters and 40 years for Ph.D. 
• The postgraduate applicant must obtain the following;
  • N.Y.S.C discharge or exemption certificates; and
  • Evidence of readiness to be released by an employer.

Available fields of study for the scholarship

1. Undergraduate level: The following undergraduate programmes are available for application for the Federal Government Scholarship  for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA)–
2. Engineering
3. Geology
4. Agriculture
5. Sciences
6. Mathematics
7. Environmental Sciences
8. Sports
9. Law
10. Social Sciences
11. Biotechnology
12. Architecture
13. Medicine and other related fields
14. Pilot Engineering
15. Neurologist
16. International Relations
17. Postgraduate level (Masters Degree and PhD): For postgraduates’ studies, all fields of study would be accepted.

How to Apply for Federal Government Scholarship for BEA

All qualified applicants should following procedures below for the application:

1. Go to the Federal Ministry of Education’s website by clicking HERE
2. On the homepage, locate and click on the Federal Scholarship Board ICON
3. Ensure that you read the instructions on the website carefully
4. Click on the Apply Icon below
5. Fill the form online and upload all the required documents.
6. Get you printout when you complete the application

Application Deadline: January 6, 2023

Special Information to All Applicants 

1. Since the BEA countries are non-English speaking, applicants should be prepared to undertake a mandatory one-year foreign Language course of the Country of choice which will be the standard medium of instruction; 
2. All applicants for Hungarian Scholarship can apply for up to two fields of study in    order of preference, and must visit the website:  www.stipendiumhungaricum.hu which was opened 18^th November 2021 to close 15^th January, 2022. Complete the application form online,
3. All applicants for Russian Postgraduate Scholarship must have acquired their 1st   Degree in Russia; 
4. All Applicants to upload the following certificates online
5. UNDERGRADUATE (UG): WAEC/WASSCE 
6. POSTGRADUATE (PG): 1st Degree Certificate, Masters Degree, WAEC/WASSCE, Indigene letter & NYSC discharge Certificate.
7. If any applicant is discovered to have provided any untrue information, such applicant will be automatically disqualified from the scholarship award
8. Applicants should ware of fraudsters; the application of the Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) does not require any processing fee.
9. The opening of the Federal Ministry Education/Federal Scholarship Board 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 thereafter.

Required Documents After Nomination

To every successful applicant. If you are luckily nominated after the processes, you would be mandated to present the following before approval:

1. Authenticated copies of academic certificates; 
2. Data page of the current International passport; 
3. Specified Medical Reports from Government hospitals;
4. Birth Certificate & indigene letter
5. Police Clearance Certificate (where necessary). 

Methods of Selection

A.    Conduct of Computer Based Test (Nomination Interview/Examination):

• They will be a wide publicity about the Computer Based Test (CBT) through advertisements in the print and electronic media, the NTA, Radio Nigeria, three (3) National Daily Newspapers, Posters, flyers etc, before it will be taken.
• The first CBT questions and answers are generated by JAMB;
• The test can only be taken after the closure of the portal for registration/applications.
• 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
• 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 usually held each year immediately after the conducts of the Computer Based Test (CBT). The Committee is made up of 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)

The sixteen (16) man committee is chaired by Director Federal Scholarship Board.

The major job of the committee is 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.

C.  Oral interviews:

There are also other oral interview sessions organised 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:

• Before the departure of each group of beneficiaries to their respective 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
• 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
• 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 are usually sent on Verification Exercise to monitor the academic progress, welfare and accounts records of BEA Scholars in some of the countries especially where any of the awardees have unsettled cases regarding their scholarship awards.

This exercise will enable the Board collate relevant information that will enhance the implementation of the scholarship program.

Related Links

• University Of Calabria International Scholarship
• MTN Science And Technology Scholarship Awards
• University Of Alberta International Scholarship Award
• York University Tentanda Via Awards For International Students In Canada
• NNPC/CHEVRON Scholarship | How To Apply

Worth of the Scholarship

i)  Federal Government commitment:

• Supplementation allowances of $6,000 per annum for both Postgraduates and   Undergraduates to augment feeding local transport, maintenance, equipment/books
• Warm clothing allowances for all scholars ($250 per annum)
• Health Insurance for all scholars ($200 per annum)
• Take-off grant for all Postgraduate scholars (N100,000.00) once before departure
• Take-off grant for all Undergraduate scholars (N60,000.00) once before departure
• Postgraduates’ research grant of $1,000 per annum
• Medical allowance of $500 per annum for scholars of General Medicine; and
• 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.

If have any other inquiries about the application of the Federal Government Scholarship Awards for Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) for the 2023/2024, kindly make use of the comment section below.

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Read also: How to Secure any Undergraduate and Postgraduate Scholarships