A total of 71 Nigerians are billed to travel to Russia and China to pursue undergraduate and post-graduate degrees under the 2013/2014 Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA).

Sixty-six of the scholars are to depart to Russia for undergraduate programmes while seven will head to China for post graduate courses. Speaking at the pre-departure briefing for the students in Abuja, Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, disclosed that other scholarship offers received for the current 2013/2014 academic session are as follow: Egypt 12, Algeria 13, Morocco 20, Serbia 2, Mexico 2 and Romania 5 while Turkey, Cuba, Ukraine, Greece, Tunisia and Macedonia are being awaited.

Wike said Nigeria on its part has also continued to reciprocate by offering scholarships to interested countries like China, Romania, Cuba and Sierra Leone. On the cost implication for the awards, he said tuition, accommodation and some stipend are to be provided by the donor countries while Nigeria provides supplementary allowance of $6,000 to augment feeding, local transportation, maintenance, equipment/books.

Others include: Warm clothing allowance of $250 per annum, health insurance of $200 per annum, take-off grant of $60 and $100 for undergraduate and post graduate scholars respectively.