The Niger State Government has officially cancelled the proposed foreign scholarship programme earlier promised for indigent students from the state. Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago announced the decision during the second matriculation ceremony of the state-owned Abdulkadir Kure University of Education (AKUM), Minna.
The programme, introduced about a year ago, had reached the stage of screening examinations to select one thousand students who were to study abroad in science-related fields, engineering, ICT, and agriculture. However, Governor Bago said the state would now redirect the resources towards strengthening its own tertiary institutions.
According to the Governor, “The funds meant for the foreign scholarship will now be channelled into developing our local institutions. We will also invite foreign tutors to come and teach in the state.”
Governor Bago reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the standard of education across Niger State. He further announced the full payment of tuition fees for all eight hundred and nine newly admitted students of Abdulkadir Kure University of Education.
In addition, the Governor gifted one hundred thousand naira each to the over eight hundred matriculating students, a gesture that was met with applause during the event.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Mohammed Aliyu Paiko, stated that about two hundred students have already benefitted from the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). He urged the students to view their matriculation as “a formal transformation that prepares them to become agents of change in society.”
Operational faculties for the 2024/2025 academic session include Education, Management Sciences, and Allied Health and Medical Science.