The Katsina State Government has completed the payment of outstanding scholarship allowances amounting to N1.9 billion to 136,175 indigent students studying across various tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The State Deputy Governor, Malam Faruk Lawal, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday, highlighting the administration’s achievements in the education sector.
He described education as “a cornerstone of the administration’s vision.”
According to Lawal, the scholarship payments covered fresh and continuing students for the 2020/2021 to 2023/2024 academic sessions.
Employment and academic awards
He further revealed that Governor Dikko Radda had approved the engagement of first-class degree graduates on permanent and pensionable appointments.
Additionally, the state government introduced an academic excellence award to encourage outstanding student performance.
“A total of 210 tertiary institutions’ students with Cumulative Grade Point Averages (CGPA) ranging from 3.5 to 5.0 were recognised and awarded with certificates, plaques, and N50,000 cash each,” Lawal stated.
The administration has taken steps to enhance tertiary education in the state, including upgrading the Department of Higher Education to a full-fledged ministry.
He also noted that tertiary institutions in the state had received significant support to improve their learning environment.
Infrastructure and accreditation funding
Providing details on infrastructure investments, Lawal said the government spent N314.6 million to restore electricity at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University (UMYU).
“This is in addition to the provision of solar security lights at the cost of N98.2 million aimed at enhancing security at the campus and promoting sustainable energy solutions within the University,” he added.
He also disclosed that the government expended N135.9 million for accreditation of various programmes in state-owned tertiary institutions for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The government has undertaken renovation projects, including the refurbishment of students’ hostels, radio, and television studios of the Department of Mass Communication at Hassan Usman Polytechnic, Katsina.
What you should know
Katsina State Government has spent approximately N13.7 billion on the construction of 75 new Junior and Senior Secondary schools as part of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), which also includes renovations and the procurement of teaching materials.
- The initiative also features a N23 million special grant for each of the 75 schools, totaling N1.725 billion, for repairs and infrastructure improvements. A second phase of the project, with the construction of 77 new schools, is underway at a cost of over N36 billion.
- Ongoing repairs are being made to 578 schools, with water supply and toilet construction included in the project, costing more than N21 billion. Additional efforts under the AGILE program include the distribution of digital learning materials, solar-powered systems, and instructional resources to thousands of students.
- The government has also focused on improving the enrollment and educational advancement of girls, distributing conditional cash transfers to 104,111 girls, and promoting girl child education through various programs in partnership with UNICEF.
