The Kaduna State Government says more than N1 billion has been invested in scholarships, student loans and other educational support programmes under Governor Uba Sani’s administration over the last three years.
The investment, according to the government, has helped thousands of students gain access to higher education while reducing the financial pressure on families struggling with tuition and other academic expenses.
Speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, described education as one of the major priorities of Governor Uba Sani’s administration.
He explained that one of the government’s most significant education reforms was the introduction of an Executive Order that reduced tuition fees by 50 per cent in all state-owned tertiary institutions, making university and college education more affordable for students.
Maiyaki disclosed that the state has spent N493.27 million on foreign scholarships for 42 students studying specialised courses such as medicine, engineering, cybersecurity, computer science and other important fields.
He added that another N425.52 million has been distributed as local scholarships to financially disadvantaged students enrolled in various tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
According to him, the government has also invested N105 million in a student loan programme designed to assist students who need financial support to continue their studies.
In addition, N27.25 million was released to help law graduates pay their registration fees for the Nigerian Law School.
The commissioner noted that these programmes are part of a broader plan to remove obstacles preventing young people from pursuing higher education and to prepare them for future leadership and professional opportunities.
He said the administration is committed to producing a highly skilled workforce capable of driving economic growth, innovation and sustainable development in Kaduna State.
Providing more details on the initiative, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board, Professor Yahaya Saleh Ibrahim, revealed that over 21,000 students have benefited from the programme.
He stated that the beneficiaries are studying in more than 40 institutions, including universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education, nursing schools and colleges of health technology.
Professor Ibrahim described the programme as one of the most ambitious educational support schemes in Nigeria.
He said Kaduna became the first state in the country to successfully combine large-scale scholarship awards with a structured student loan programme.
According to him, the loan scheme also offers flexible repayment options, allowing beneficiaries to repay based on their financial circumstances after graduation.
One of the beneficiaries, Al’Ameen Abdul Waheed, a Geography student at Kaduna State University, praised the government for the support.
He said the scholarship programme has removed the burden of tuition fees from his family and given him the confidence to focus on his studies.
“My parents no longer have to worry about paying my school fees because the scholarship scheme has taken care of that challenge. It has made a huge difference in my education,” he said.