By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

Beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s National Award Scholarship have formally petitioned the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, over the non-payment of their scholarship funds for the 2025 academic year, expressing concern over the financial hardship the delay has caused students nationwide.

In a jointly signed letter dated December 31, 2025, and addressed to the Minister through the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, the scholars appealed for urgent intervention to facilitate the release of the long-awaited funds.

The beneficiaries acknowledged the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to education, particularly the recent upward review of the National Award Scholarship from N250,000 to  N450,000.  

They described the increment as a clear demonstration of government’s resolve to promote access to quality and affordable education for Nigerian students.

However, they lamented that despite the increase, the scholarship funds for 2025 had yet to be disbursed, leaving many beneficiaries struggling to meet basic academic needs, including tuition, accommodation, research materials, and general upkeep.

“Majority of us rely heavily on this scholarship to pursue our academic dreams with less financial burden,” the letter stated, noting that the delay has compounded financial pressures on students and their families.

The scholars urged the Minister to bring the matter to the attention of relevant authorities, including the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, to ensure prompt resolution.  

They expressed confidence that once the issue reaches the minister’s desk, it would be addressed swiftly, given the administration’s stated priority on education.

While reaffirming their trust in the leadership of the Ministry of Education, the beneficiaries also requested clarity on when the payment would be made.

According to them, providing a payment timeline would ease anxiety among scholars and enable them to plan effectively for their academic and personal obligations.

“We believe we have no cause to worry knowing how highly President Bola Tinubu’s administration values education,” the letter read, adding that the minister’s intervention would reassure students that their concerns have been heard.

The petition was signed by representatives of both southern and northern beneficiaries, including Wisdom Shammah Makpa for Southern beneficiaries, Muhammad Halliru Yakubu for Northern beneficiaries, Hosea Joseph I., Alameen Abubakar (Secretary), and Kabiru Datti Na Malanta.  

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the Federal Ministry of Education or the Federal Scholarship Board on the status of the 2025 National Award Scholarship payments.