The Sokoto State Government has approved about N1 billion for the payment of registration fees and upkeep allowances to the state’s scholarship beneficiaries both within and outside the country.
The Permanent Secretary of Sokoto State Scholarship Board, Bello Isah, disclosed this in a statement made available to members of the press in the state .
According to Isah, N188.5 million has been earmarked for the payment of registration fees for 5,643 state students into the Sokoto State University.
The allocation also includes N312.9 million for 7,096 students in Usmanu Danfodiyo University.
The governor further approved $89100 and £15,000 for the payment of tuition and upkeep allowances to some regular students in various institutions in London, Canada and in other countries across the world.
Others include $570,000 (equivalent to N342,000) for the payment of tuition and upkeep allowances for both and new students studying various medical courses in the Republic of Sudan.
According to the permanent secretary, the Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, had approved the redeployment of the evacuated Ukraine students to another country where they will continue with their studies adding that himself and one other officer will soon leave on facility tour to Sudan, Egypt, and Turkey in order to ascertain the best institutions as part of the preparation for their redeployment
He said the governor has approved the payment of some sponsored continuing students that are studying Medicine in Sudan, Nursing at American University in Niger Republic, and Computer Engineering at International University, Cyprus.
He also disclosed that three state indigenes were sponsored to study two-year standard pilot course at international aviation college Ilorin , Kwara state, adding that a sum of N42.1m will be spent by the government for their tuition and upkeep allowances during the period.
Isah also said that the governor had directed the immediate absorption of 17 graduates of French languages from Abdou Mummuni University, Niamey into the state civil service in order to enhance the teaching of the language in the secondary schools, adding that another set of 20 will soon be sponsored by the state government to the institution to study the french language .
The permanent secretary commended the effort of the governor in uplifting the standard of education in the state.
He appealed to the affected students both within and outside the country to justify the huge investment of the government on them by redoubling effort in their studies and be ready to serve the state after their studies.
