Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Malam Lawan Wakilbe, has announced that the state government allocated more than N9.7 billion for student scholarships in 2024. This initiative is part of Governor Babagana Zulum’s 10-year transformation agenda and 25-year development plan, aimed at addressing the impacts of insurgency and rebuilding the state’s workforce.
Wakilbe provided a breakdown of the disbursed funds, stating that N4.29 billion was awarded to 30,616 undergraduate students in Nigerian institutions, focusing on courses such as Law, Science, Medicine, Nursing, and Engineering. Additionally, N382 million was designated for 335 post-graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses.
The state also allocated N2.32 billion to 132 undergraduates studying Medicine and Engineering in China and Egypt, while 287 post-graduate students in India and Malaysia received N2.69 billion for STEM education.
A total of 31,369 students benefited from the scholarship program in 2024. Governor Zulum has approved sponsorship for 30 students to pursue aviation courses in 2025 and plans to introduce more scholarship programs later this year.
Wakilbe also highlighted the number of beneficiaries currently enrolled in various institutions, including the College of Nursing, Maiduguri, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, among others. He praised the efforts of Governor Zulum and the Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Mallam Bala Isa, for their roles in ensuring the success of the program.