writes that with the precarious state of the Nigerian economy, and the frightening number of out-of-school children in the country, which is the highest globally, President Bola Tinubu’s announcement of a scholarship programme for students from the Caribbean countries just less than two months after the federal government scrapped foreign scholarships for Nigerian students to avoid waste of resources, is a misplaced priority

Since he assumed office, President Bola Tinubu, like his predecessors, has been embarking on foreign trips to woo investors and attract the much-needed foreign investments to Nigeria.

However, none of his foreign trips produced a very shocking outcome like his recent visit to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Saint Lucian Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre in Gros Islet, according to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president announced that a scholarship programme for students from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to study in Nigerian universities would commence in the next academic year.

Tinubu said the gesture was part of broader efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties and boost cooperation in education, trade, and development between Nigeria and the OECS.

According to him, a joint implementation committee comprising representatives from Nigeria and OECS member states has been set up to finalise modalities and ensure the timely rollout of the scholarship scheme.

The statement by the presidential spokesman noted that the scholarship scheme and other bilateral initiatives were part of Tinubu’s broader push to deepen ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

On his part, Prime Minister Pierre welcomed the scholarship programme as “a timely and practical expression of solidarity”.

“We expect students to begin their studies in Nigeria in the next academic year, based on the President’s directive. This is immediate action,” the Prime Minister said.

Given Nigeria’s status as the ‘Giant of Africa,’ there is nothing wrong with a country of over 200 million population and the biggest black nation on earth, offering scholarships to sister countries with a combined population of less than 650,000 but such gesture should only be considered if the performance of Nigeria’s economy reflects her giant of Africa status.

However, having made a mockery of her enviable status and attained a new status of the poverty capital of the world, ravaged by excruciating debt burden, insecurity, ailing economy, corruption and the highest number of out-of-children globally, Nigeria is not in a position to offer scholarships to even the least country in the world.

It is ironic that a country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, according to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is offering scholarships to other countries.

In 2024, UNICEF had raised the alarm that Nigeria’s education system was facing an alarming crisis, with 10.2 million children of primary school age, and another 8.1 million of junior secondary school age out of school, while 74 per cent of children aged 7–14 lack basic reading and math skills. 

The statistics are frightening in North-east and North-west, which account for 66 per cent of the out-of-school children. North-central is the third worst in terms of the number of out-of-school children.

The report identified poverty as the driver of children’s absence from school, as 65 per cent of the out-of-school are from the poorest homes.

The World Bank’s April 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief for Nigeria shows that the rates of poverty in the country have increased significantly with about three in every four people living in the rural areas poor, while three in every five people living in the urban areas are also poor.

A country with such chilling statistics on poverty level should not, under any circumstances, offer scholarships to other countries.

 Today, with an estimated 20 million Nigerian children out of school, it is shocking that Nigeria is playing a ‘Father Christmas’ role in the education of Caribbean students when her own children are roaming the streets as almajiris, beggars, hawkers, scrap metal dealers, and truck pushers, and with others resorting to violent crimes as kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.

Tinubu’s gesture is particularly strange as it came less than two months after the federal government scrapped foreign scholarships for Nigerian students to save scarce resources.

The federal government had in April announced the cancellation of the foreign scholarship scheme under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA), describing the scheme as a “waste of resources.”

Before the cancellation, the previous beneficiaries of the scheme had cried out, accusing the government of denying them their entitlements.

The BEA Programme, established through strong diplomatic ties and mutual cooperation, enabled Nigerian students to study in partner countries such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt, and Serbia.

Though the federal government had claimed that all supplementary allowances due to Nigerian scholars had been paid up to December 2024, some of the parents of the beneficiaries had faulted the claim.

While disclosing that additional funds had been requested to settle all outstanding entitlements affected by exchange rate fluctuations, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the government’s decision to discontinue the programme.

Obviously referring to the behaviour of some of the beneficiaries, who were complaining of non-payment of allowances, Alausa expressed displeasure over what he described as the “blackmailing” behaviour of some scholars under the scheme on social media.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the newly elected officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Alausa said the government would redirect the funds towards domestic scholarship programmes that would benefit more students across the country.

Justifying the government’s decision, Alausa said: “2024, when I assumed office, I was asked to approve N650 million for 60 students going to Morocco under the BEA programme. I refused. It’s not fair to Nigerian students.

“I reviewed the courses—some students went to Algeria, a French-speaking country, to study English, Psychology, and Sociology—courses we teach better in Nigeria.

“By the end of 2024, all outstanding scholarships will be cleared. The 2025 scholarships are pending due to the budget appropriation process. They will be paid in the coming months. However, we will not continue the programme beyond 2025,” the minister said.

“In 2025 alone, the government planned to spend N9 billion on just 1,200 students. It’s unjust to spend such a huge amount sending students abroad to study courses available locally while millions of Nigerian students receive no support,” he stated.

He added: “We have evaluated every course these 1,200 students are studying abroad—every single one is available in Nigerian universities. We are cancelling the BEA. It is not the best use of public funds.

“That money will now be used to fund local scholarships and support more students.”

Surprisingly, the same government that scrapped foreign scholarships for her own citizens, describing it as a waste of resources, is offering scholarships to the students of other countries.

President Tinubu should cancel this scholarship offer and channel the resources to the education of Nigerian students, who are in dire need of education.