Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has disclosed that his administration has invested more than N1 billion in scholarships, student loans and other education support programmes over the last three years.
The disclosure was made on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information and Culture Ahmed Maiyaki during a meeting with journalists in Kaduna.
According to Mr Maiyaki, the investment is part of the state government’s efforts to improve access to higher education and reduce the financial burden on students.
He said one of the administration’s major steps was the signing of an executive order reducing tuition fees by 50 percent in all state-owned tertiary institutions.
Maiyaki stated that N493.27 million had been spent on overseas scholarships for 42 students studying courses such as medicine, computer science, cybersecurity and engineering.
He added that N425.52 million had been disbursed as local scholarships to students in tertiary institutions across the country.
The commissioner also said the state government committed N105 million to its student loan scheme and released N27.25 million to assist law graduates with registration fees for the Nigerian Law School.
He noted that the programmes were designed to ensure that students are not denied higher education because of financial challenges.
The Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board Yahaya Ibrahim said more than 21,106 students in over 40 higher institutions had benefited from the scholarship programme.
The beneficiaries are studying in federal and state universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education, colleges of health technology and nursing schools.
Ibrahim said Kaduna State operates both scholarship and student loan schemes to support students seeking higher education.
A beneficiary of the programme Al’Ameen Waheed, a Geography student at Kaduna State University, said the scholarship had helped ease the burden of paying tuition fees.
“My parents and I no longer have to worry about paying my tuition fees because I know the Kaduna State Scholarship Scheme will support my education,” he said.
