FIC REPORT (NASARAWA STATE) – Nasarawa State Government has flagged off the electronic disbursement of N667 million bursary allowances to 18,202 indigenes of the state studying in various tertiary institutions across the country, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to education and students’ welfare.
The flagged off of the disbursement exercise was held at the Faculty of Engineering, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Gudi Campus.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sule said the bursary was intended to cushion the financial difficulties faced by students and their parents, urging beneficiaries to remain focused on their education despite the economic challenges in the country.
He recalled that his administration inherited unpaid scholarship allowances covering 2016 to 2019, which were cleared before it commenced its own disbursement.
The governor attributed the reduction in this year’s allocation to a stricter screening process, designed to ensure that only qualified students benefited.
He commended the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Scholarship Board, Dr. Sa’adatu Yahya, for returning N122 million to the state government after identifying an unutilised balance during the previous disbursement exercise, while stressing further that the recovery demonstrated the importance of transparency and accountability in managing public resources.
He acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing it as a complementary initiative that would expand access to educational financing.
The Governor noted that the occasion was particularly significant because it took place in his hometown, Gudi, announced a personal donation of N10 million to the Faculty of Engineering to address some of its electricity and infrastructure challenges.
He urged students to shun political violence and hooliganism, stressing that they should participate in the democratic process peacefully.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board, Dr. Sa’adatu Yahaya, disclosed that 18,202 students had been cleared for the 2024/2025 bursary exercise.
She listed other educational interventions by the Governor Sule administration to include sponsorship of 50 students at the College of Nursing Sciences, Bichi, Kano State, 15 at Mewar University and 12 at Azman University, Kano.
Yahaya also recalled the upward review of bursary allowances for Nasarawa indigenes at the Nigerian Law School from N100,000 to N600,000, describing the interventions as investments in the state’s future.
The Commissioner for Tertiary and Technical Education, Hon. Habeeb Nagogo, said the administration had sponsored more than 54,580 Nasarawa students since 2019 and cleared outstanding scholarship liabilities inherited from previous administrations.
Nagogo, who recalled benefiting from a scholarship as a student, said such interventions could transform lives and urged beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity.
The Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Sa’adatu Liman, described the bursary scheme as a practical demonstration of the government’s commitment to human capital development, urging beneficiaries to justify the investment through academic excellence.
Also speaking, the National President of the Nasarawa State Students Association, Amb. Danladi Caleb Ekpo, commended the governor for sustaining bursary payments and investing in educational infrastructure and skills development.
He cited the development of the Faculty of Engineering at Gudi, the transformation of the College of Nursing Sciences, Lafia, and the establishment of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute as evidence of the administration’s commitment to education.
Ekpo assured the governor that students would remain peaceful and responsible citizens, pledging their support for the administration’s educational development agenda.
Solomon Mundung
EO Information PRO .
Edited By
ARI, LIMAN AMINU
Head of Centre,
FIC Lafia.
