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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Governor Uba Sani has cleared all outstanding tuition fees owed to foreign universities by Kaduna State-sponsored students, totalling $247,235.84, equivalent to N407,937,750.
The beneficiaries include those who studied Medicine and Nursing, and were abandoned and left stranded abroad by the previous administration.
The payment was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Executive Secretary of Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board, Professor Yahya Saleh Ibrahim yesterday.
The Executive Secretary further disclosed that the stranded students included those who were ‘’unable to graduate, renew visas, or access their academic records.’’
Giving a breakdown of the settled tuition fees, the statement stated that Debrecen University United Kingdom/Hungary, was paid $51,400.00, which is equivalent to N84,810,000. The Dubai-based University of Wollongong was paid $13,827.08, amounting to N22,814,550. The Medical University Havana got $164,010, which is equivalent to N270,616,500 while KIU IUIU, Uganda received $17, 998 or N29,696,700.00, the statement added.
Ibrahim pointed out that the governor’s action is ‘’in line with his administration’s commitment to human capital development and expanding access to education for indigent students.’’
The Executive Secretary further disclosed: “Governor Uba Sani has also cleared the foreign tuition fees of state-sponsored students from 2023 to date. His Excellency, Governor Uba Sani has also directed the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board to liaise with all foreign universities where Kaduna State students are studying to ascertain the status of their tuition fee payments,’’ the statement added.
According to Prof Ibrahim, the directive was given with a view to settling any payment that may not have been captured in the Master List of the Scholarship.
‘’The governor is determined to put in place a robust process that will end the hardship being experienced in foreign universities by Kaduna State students,’’ he said.
He noted that the governor’s swift intervention underscored his commitment to human capital development and empowering youths of Kaduna State, especially the underprivileged, to play key roles in a fast changing and technologically-driven world.
