Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has officially flagged off the disbursement of the 2023/2024 scholarships to 18,762 indigent students, amounting to N592.2 million, in a ceremony held at the College of Education, Akwanga, on Thursday.
In a rare show of integrity, the Governor rewarded the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board, Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahaya, with a prime plot of land at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) for returning over N122 million excess funds earmarked for the exercise.
Governor Sule praised her transparency, stressing that her action sets a new benchmark in accountability within public service.
“This money is going directly into the treasury of the state.
It shows Nasarawa has come of age. Because of her honesty, we are rewarding her with a choice plot of land in the GRA,” the Governor said.
Highlighting his administration’s achievements in education, Governor Sule noted that Nasarawa has moved to 5th position nationally in NECO performance, with his government paying 100 percent NECO fees for 24,000 SS3 students.
He further disclosed that 155 students are currently studying abroad on state sponsorship, while over 38,580 students within Nigeria have benefitted from bursaries amounting to over N2 billion.
On assumption of office, he said, his government cleared backlog arrears of unpaid bursaries from 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 sessions, while promising to settle the only outstanding 2024/2025 bursary after the ongoing disbursement.
The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education, pointing out that the state’s annual budgetary allocation to the sector rose from 26 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in subsequent years.
He also assured that the process of appointing a new Provost for the College of Education, Akwanga, will prioritize competence and proven capacity.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. John DW Mamman, commended Governor Sule’s investment in students, recalling recent initiatives such as the conditional cash transfer scheme that benefitted 14,000 girls with N30,000 each to support retention in schools.
In her remarks, Hajiya Sa’adatu Yahaya revealed that 25,000 students applied, but only 18,762 scaled through online screening.
She explained that a post-review of the process led to the recovery of the N122.1m excess, which she formally returned to the Governor.
She lauded Governor Sule for his commitment to academic excellence, urging beneficiaries to use the funds strictly for their studies.
