The Nasarawa State Government has disbursed over ₦2 billion for scholarships and bursary allowances to students within and outside Nigeria.
Governor Abdullahi Sule announced this on Thursday during the flag-off of the 2023/2024 bursary allowance payment at the College of Education, Akwanga.
Sule explained that the initiative was part of his administration’s commitment to improving access to education, adding that the fund would cover students studying both locally and abroad.
“Beyond the payment of NECO fees, the State Government is also paying the scholarships of over 150 students on foreign programmes and over 30,000 students across institutions in the country,” the governor said.
He commended the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Scholarship Board for ensuring transparency in the selection and screening process, which, he noted, had led to the refund of excess payments detected during the exercise.
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The Executive Secretary of the Scholarship Board, Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahaya, highlighted the impact of the initiative, stating:
“Over 16,700 students are set to benefit from this phase alone, which will gulp more than ₦500 million.”
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr John Mamman, described the exercise as a milestone in the state’s education policy and urged students to use the allowances wisely.
National President of the Nasarawa State Students Association (NASSA), Comrade Abimuku Ovey, lauded the governor for the gesture.
“This support will go a long way in easing our academic challenges. We assure the governor that we will continue to be good ambassadors of Nasarawa State wherever we are,” he said.
The scheme covers students in institutions across Nigeria and abroad.
