Governor Uba Sani has made it easier for students from humble backgrounds in Kaduna State to get scholarships, the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship and Loans Board, has stated.
The Executive Secretary, Prof. Yahya Ibrahim, who spoke in Kaduna on Sunday said the governor had removed tax clearance as a requirement for accessing scholarships, making the process simpler for many students. He also explained that while writing an essay is still part of the application process, it is now used to identify areas where students need academic support.
“The governor has also created seven Zonal Scholarship Awards to help students in rural areas get screened without having to travel to the board’s headquarters in Kaduna,” Ibrahim said.
According to him, the zonal units, located in Zaria, Kafanchan, Kachia, Pambegua, Makarfi, Kaduna-North, and Kaduna-South, have reduced congestion and made scholarship access easier. He added that the governor had provided thirty computers to the units to make applications more efficient.
Ibrahim further announced that the board now conducts on-the-spot scholarship enrolments in tertiary institutions, saying, “This effort has already registered over 4,330 potential beneficiaries who are waiting for disbursement.” He also revealed that from May 2023 to date, 3,397 students have been awarded local scholarships, while thirty others have benefited from the third-party ‘Tertiary Education Loans.’
“The board has also secured 50 scholarships for secondary school students from poor backgrounds through a partnership with the Ministry of Education and Indomie Noodles DOFIL Company Kaduna,” he said. He added that the governor’s special scholarship programs now include support for students in innovation, aviation, and those with disabilities.
Speaking further, Ibrahim stated that Governor Sani had given jobs to six medical students who recently graduated from Cuba and fourteen nursing graduates from Uganda. “The nursing graduates have all been employed into the state’s civil service,” he said.
He concluded by saying that the governor’s efforts are aimed at improving education and creating better opportunities for students across the state.
