Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved the release of N1.649 billion to settle outstanding scholarship obligations, tuition fees, student welfare and international education support, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to human capital development in Borno State.
The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarships Board, Dr Bala Isa, announced the approval during a press briefing in Maiduguri, describing the intervention as a strategic investment in the state’s future rather than a routine financial commitment.
“This approval is more than a financial intervention. It is another bold declaration that the future of Borno State lies in the education of its young people,” he said.
According to Isa, the approved funds will cover the 2024/2025 scholarship awards for eligible Borno students studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
It will also pay tuition and accommodation fees for 272 medical students at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare; tuition fees for 34 MBBS students at Al-Ansar University, Maiduguri; and school fees for 60 students at the Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology, Zaria.
The package further includes six months’ allowances for Nursing College students under the state scholarship programme, school fees for 300 orphans of Counter-Insurgency Volunteers, return airfares for 133 postgraduate STEM graduates and 39 PhD STEM scholars studying in India and Malaysia, as well as return airfares for 104 undergraduate scholars in China.
Isa said the approval underscores Governor Zulum’s sustained investment in education despite prevailing economic and security challenges. He noted that thousands of students from Borno State have benefited from government-sponsored scholarships within Nigeria and abroad in critical fields such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, aviation, artificial intelligence, information technology and health sciences.
“Behind every scholarship is a young person whose dreams have been kept alive. Behind every tuition payment is a family relieved of financial burden. Behind every engineer, scientist and medical student is another foundation being laid for the economic transformation of Borno State,” he said.
He assured beneficiaries that the Scholarships Board has commenced the necessary administrative processes to ensure the timely disbursement of the approved funds directly to institutions, beneficiaries and service providers in line with government procedures.
The Executive Secretary commended Governor Zulum for his commitment to educational development and also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, members of the State Executive Council, development partners, heads of beneficiary institutions and staff of the Borno State Scholarships Board for their continued support.
He urged beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies and uphold discipline, patriotism and excellence, stressing that the knowledge and skills they acquire will be instrumental in rebuilding communities, strengthening institutions and driving the socio-economic transformation of Borno State.
