By Abel Leonard, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritizing education as he officially flagged off the 2023/2024 bursary disbursement for students at the College of Education, Akwanga.
Speaking at the ceremony, the governor commended stakeholders for the transparent handling of the exercise, noting that some officials even returned excess funds. He described the gesture as a demonstration of integrity and accountability.
“I appreciate everyone for carrying out this exercise and even coming back to return some money. That demonstration of honesty shows that Nasarawa has come of age,” Sule said.
He also stressed the need to address criminality through genuine reasoning and proactive measures. “People will still apply even if they are not students. We must handle such issues deliberately. Criminality cannot be solved with carrot and stick alone; it requires understanding the cause and applying the right response,” he said.
Congratulating the beneficiaries, Sule described education as the foundation of progress. “Education is key. Without proper education, we can do nothing. Today, Nasarawa is number five in the country in WAEC, which was achieved because we took bold steps, including paying 100 percent of NECO fees for all students,” he stated.
The governor disclosed that over 24,000 students recently benefitted from the NECO payment initiative, adding that his own educational success was made possible through scholarship support. “I came from a village here in Akwanga where I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to study abroad, but scholarship made it possible. That’s why I reintroduced scholarships when I came in,” he said.
Sule explained that 155 students from the state are currently studying abroad and that his administration has cleared all outstanding scholarship payments from 2016 to 2019. “We are now paying the 2023/2024 scholarships. The pending one for this year will be cleared within two months,” he assured.
The governor also revealed that the government is sponsoring 50 nursing and midwifery students at the School of Nursing and Sciences, Bichi, Kano State, adding that over ₦2 billion has been disbursed for scholarships so far. “We have over 38,580 students currently sponsored in various institutions within Nigeria, and we will continue to support more,” he said.
Sule reiterated that education remains a top priority in the state’s budget, noting that allocations have risen from 26 to 36 percent. “I pledge to take education the way it should be taken,” he declared.
On the appointment of a substantive provost for the College of Education, Akwanga, the governor said the process was ongoing and promised a fair and merit-based selection. “We will appoint someone with the capacity to manage the institution effectively,” he assured.
In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Scholarship Board, Hajiya Sa’adatu O. Yahaya, described the flag-off as a milestone in the state’s pursuit of academic excellence. She said 16,756 students were identified as beneficiaries, with a total disbursement of ₦592,223,000, while ₦122,110,000 would be refunded to the state government after revaluation.
She praised the governor’s vision for transforming the educational landscape, adding that the scholarship scheme has provided relief to parents and motivation to students.
Commissioner for Education, Dr. John D. Mamman, also commended Sule for investing in students and improving the state’s WAEC performance to fifth position nationally and second in the North Central region.
He further lauded the governor for introducing conditional cash transfers for girls, noting that about 14,000 girls would receive ₦3,000 each to support school retention and completion.
