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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Friday reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritizing education as he officially flagged off the 2023/2024 bursary disbursement of ₦592,223,000 to 16,756 students held at the state College of Education, Akwanga.
In his address, Governor Sule appreciated stakeholders for the smooth conduct of the exercise, noting that some officials even returned excess money, a development he described as a demonstration of integrity.
“I appreciate everyone for carrying out this exercise and even coming back to return some money back to us. The demonstration of that has shown that Nasarawa has come of age. I thank you for the transparency, for everything you are doing, for showing discipline, prudence and honesty,” he said.
He stressed the need to handle issues of criminality with genuine reasoning, adding that government must be deliberate in addressing the causes. “It is true that people will still apply even those that are not students. We should have a genuine reason to handle criminality. You can’t handle criminality with carrot and stick.
There must be a genuine reason for criminality. It takes sound warning and seeing how we can help. But if somebody continues to do the same thing, then you know this is a criminal by nature and you will have to find a way to handle it,” he added.
Congratulating the beneficiaries, the governor emphasized the importance of education, describing it as the foundation of progress. “Education is key. It is beyond important that we all have education. Without proper education we can do nothing.
“Today we are able to bring Nasarawa State to the limelight. I thank God for giving me the wisdom and a team that worked together to now make Nasarawa State an attractive state. Nasarawa State is number five in the country in NECO.
That’s not the number we were when we came in, but because we took some decisions and paid all NECO fees. Right now, anybody writing, whether they can afford it or not, we still pay 100 percent of their NECO. That is the reason why even those who could not afford it but are competent now have the opportunity,” he said.
According to the governor, the state recently paid for over 24,000 students to sit for NECO examinations. He also recalled his own educational journey, linking it to scholarships. “I came from a village here in Akwanga where I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to school at Indiana but it was scholarship that gave me that opportunity.
That is why when I came in, I reintroduced scholarships which had been stopped either because of abuse or lack of transparency. Today we have about 155 students who are studying outside Nigeria from Nasarawa State,” Sule explained.
He disclosed that his administration had cleared backlogs of scholarship payments dating back to 2016–2019. “Today we are paying the 2023/2024 scholarships. The only one pending is for this year and, by the grace of God, it will be paid immediately they finish the exercise and within the next two months,” he said.
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Sule further noted that the government is sponsoring 50 nurses and midwifery students at the flagship School of Nursing and Sciences, Bichi, Kano State. He revealed that over ₦2 billion has so far been disbursed for scholarships.
“We have over 38,580 students that are being sponsored right now to various institutions within Nigeria and will continue to receive more requests. Fifteen students are also being sponsored at Bamewal International University, Masaka. We will continue to do that,” he added.
The governor also pledged continued budgetary priority for education. “We started with 26 percent, then 31, 36—all allocations only to education. I pledge to take education the way it should be taken,” he declared.
On the appointment of a substantive Provost for the College of Education, Akwanga, Sule said the process was ongoing and assured of fairness. “The government is not going to be selfish by bringing somebody because of one influence or the other. I promise to bring someone who has the capacity to manage the institution,” he assured.
In her welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Scholarship Board, Hajiya Sa’adatu O. Yahaya, described the event as a milestone in the state’s pursuit of academic excellence.
“With profound honour, we officially flag off the 2023/2024 bursary disbursement aimed at empowering deserving students from Nasarawa State. The visionary leadership of the governor has been instrumental in transforming the educational landscape of our state. The scholarship programme has remained a paradigm shift for many students, providing critical financial support and motivation to excel academically.
It has also brought relief to parents, allowing them to focus on other essential needs and improve their overall wellbeing. By investing in education, we are investing in our people and nation,” she said.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that the board, after physical screening and research, identified 16,756 students as beneficiaries of the bursary scheme amounting to ₦592,223,000. “Therefore, the board will revalue the sum of ₦122,110,000 only to the state government,” she added.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. John D. Mamman, commended the governor for his investment in students who he described as the future leaders of Nasarawa State.
He acknowledged Sule’s faithfulness, transparency and accountability, noting that the ministry counts on his continued support. “We acknowledge the support given to the ministry in terms of registration of students writing WAEC and NECO, with the state now performing very well—fifth in Nigeria and second in North Central after Benue,” he stated.
Dr. Mamman further appreciated the governor for introducing conditional cash transfers to girls. “Not less than 14,000 girls will benefit from an amount not less than ₦30,000 per girl. That goes a long way in completing retention and completion of schools,” he said.
