By Gbenga Akingbule
About N 9.7 billion was expended by Borno State Government for scholarships to Indigenous students undergoing various studies at tertiary institutions within and outside the country in 2024, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the aim, according to the state government under the stewardship of Governor Babagana Zulum, is to make education accessible to Borno children irrespective of their social stratification.
The initiative also aligns with the 10-year transformation agenda and the 25-year development plan set forth by Governor Zulum, ensuring a brighter future for Borno State and its citizens.
Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, disclosed this while briefing reporters at the Government House, Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to Engr. Wakilbe, a total of 30,616 undergraduate students across Nigeria’s Universities, Colleges, Polytechnics and other institutions, studying Law, Science, Medicine, Nursing, and Engineering received N4,289,243,200 billion in scholarships.
Additionally, 335 local postgraduate students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses were awarded a total of N382 million.
In support of international education, N2,325,467,300 billion was disbursed to 132 undergraduate students studying Medicine and Engineering at universities in China and Egypt. Furthermore, 287 postgraduate students enrolled in STEM courses in India and Malaysia received N2,691,467,300 billion.
Also, with regards to foreign scholarship, “about 150 students are studying in India, with 19 pursuing Medicine, 29 in Malaysia, 65 at Sharda University, and 85 at Integral University in India. In China, 10 students are enrolled in the MBBS programme at Jinzhou Medical University, 30 at Anhui Medical University, and 50 students are studying Engineering at Naijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Liaoning University of Technology, and Hefei University of Technology”, Wakilbe stressed.
A total of 31,369 students benefited from the scholarship programme in 2024, with Governor Zulum already approving sponsorship for over 30 new students who will pursue Aviation courses in 2025. Additional scholarship and sponsorship programmes will also be launched for the upcoming year.
Highlighting some of the institutions hosting the beneficiaries, Engr. Wakilbe reported that 997 students are currently enrolled at the College of Nursing, Maiduguri, with 94 others at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). In addition, 32 medical students are attending Al-Ansar University in Maiduguri, while 392 students are studying at the Federal Polytechnic Monguno.
The commissioner emphasized that these scholarships and their accompanying bonds will help meet the workforce needs in the state, particularly as it recovers from the challenges posed by insurgency.
The commissioner said, apart from this gesture, Mega schools and blocks of classrooms were constructed and equipped, with recruitment of qualified teachers across many local government areas in the three senatorial districts, as well as a reduction in the number of out-of-school children off the streets.
