Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, yesterday disbursed a total of N5 billion as scholarships to 30,000 students from the North-West geopolitical zone studying in various tertiary institutions.
Out of 30,000 beneficiaries, 7,000 were drawn from Kaduna State, while the rest were from the six remaining states from the North West.
The scholarships which range from N200,000 to N800,000 depending on the students’ courses of study, are to facilitate their tuition fees and provision of books and stipends.
The students were drawn from Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara. The award was held at the newly established Federal University of Education, Zaria.
This is just as the Speaker announced the establishment of a modern orphanage in Zaria, which he said is “a project that is very close to my soul.”
Speaking at the occasion, Abbas, who began his career as a teacher, described the event as “an ambitious education intervention programme that will touch thousands of lives across the North-West geopolitical zone, noting that it is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“This is an unprecedented initiative in our region’s history. These scholarships will benefit bright young men and women from Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, every corner of the North-West. This is a truly grand endeavour, covering all seven states of our zone and uniting us in the pursuit of knowledge and progress.
“What makes this scholarship programme special is not just its scale, but its focus. We are directing support to students pursuing courses in critical fields like Medicine, Engineering, Law and Technology, among others. By doing so, we are investing in Nigeria’s future doctors, engineers, lawyers, and innovators. Our nation urgently needs more professionals in these fields,” he said.
