One hundred (100) indigenes of Sokoto East Senatorial District have been offered foreign scholarships to pursue their academic careers in various fields under Senator Ibrahim Lamido’s educational scheme.
Already, the beneficiaries of the scheme have secured admission to study various sciences and engineering courses at Greeta and MGR Universities, India.
Addressing the first batch of 57 students at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, before departing for India, Sen. Lamido urged them to concentrate fully on their academics and remain worthy ambassadors of Sokoto State and Nigeria.
The Senator said the academic scheme included a full package of N45 million for each beneficiary, which covers their tuition fees, accommodation, feeding, flight tickets, among other allowances.
The federal lawmaker explained that the scholarship was part of a constituency project to enhance educational growth and give back to his constituents for the opportunity given to him in the National Assembly.
“We have designed a comprehensive scholarship program to sponsor 100 Sokoto indigene students. It is a fully funded scholarship package for the beneficiaries selected from across Sokoto East Senatorial District.
“The package encompasses school/tuition fees, accommodation, feeding, exam fees, monthly stipend, visa charges, flight tickets, and health insurance, among other charges.
“The first batch of 57 students has departed to India, and we are working on the departure of the second batch of students. Each student is sponsored with no less than N45,000,000 for the period of four years of his/her studies,” Sen. Lamido said.
Shortly before departure, one of the beneficiaries, Muhammad Salisu Gatawa, applauded the benefactor for the enabling opportunity to actualize their dreams.
“It all started like a dream, but as God designed it, here we are at Abuja Airport for our trip to India for studies. We give glory to Almighty God and appreciate our senator for the opportunity. And on behalf of my colleagues, I would like to promise that we will reciprocate this precious gesture by concentrating on our studies,” Muhammad Salisu Gatawa said.
Another beneficiary, Abubakar Isa, said, “When my credentials were collected for onward transmission to the committee saddled with the responsibility of screening eligible students, I never took it seriously because it is not the first time politicians have collected our papers under the guise of scholarships.
“But some days later, I was called for the screening and later informed that I was qualified for the scholarship. Even then, I wasn’t convinced it was real until I was asked to get prepared for the trip,” Isa added.
The beneficiaries will pursue their undergraduate courses in Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Technology, Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Cyber Security, and Machine Learning, among other related courses.
