Parents of Nigerian students studying abroad on government scholarships on Monday barricaded the entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, protesting the prolonged delay in the payment of their children’s allowances.

The demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting solidarity messages, said the affected students who are enrolled under various Bilateral Education Agreements and other federal scholarship programmes have gone 16 months without their stipends, while an additional eight-month shortfall also remains outstanding.

A photograph from the scene showed frustrated parents gathered at the ministry’s entrance as security personnel looked on.

According to the protesters, the failure to release the funds has left many of the students stranded abroad, struggling to pay for accommodation, feeding and academic expenses. Some parents alleged that their children face the risk of being deregistered by their institutions or evicted by landlords.

The protest adds to growing pressure on the Federal Government, which has faced mounting criticism over delays in fulfilling scholarship obligations to students studying in countries including Russia, Morocco, Algeria, and several European nations.

Officials of the ministry had yet to address the crowd as of the time of filing this report.

Details later…