Adamawa Govt, Staje To Sponsor 200 Outstanding Indigent Students Abroad

Adamawa State government has partnered with State Educational Services to launch the Adamawa Strategic Scholarship Programme, an international scholarship scheme targeting indigent but academically outstanding students.

The programme is being implemented through a selection process coordinated by the Adamawa State Scholarship Trust Fund, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and State Educational Services.

Dr Vivian Victor, director of Staje Educational Services, disclosed that the initiative is designed to sponsor qualified Adamawa indigenes to pursue postgraduate studies in selected foreign universities in Australia, Canada and Uzbekistan.

According to her, applicants were drawn from a widely advertised state scholarship portal and subjected to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and to internationally recognised IELTS examinations conducted by IDP.

“Only candidates who met the academic and language requirements were selected, endorsed by the state and placed in approved international universities,” she said.

She also noted that the programme’s pilot phase targets 200 indigent students, primarily for Master’s degree programmes in strategic disciplines such as mining, agriculture, ICT/Artificial Intelligence, architecture and medical sciences.

Dr Victor added that these sectors were deliberately chosen to align with Adamawa State’s development priorities and workforce needs.

The scholarship is expected to commence immediately following government approval and budgetary release, with the first batch of beneficiaries entering foreign universities in the next academic admission cycle.

Dr Victor also emphasised that the initiative was born out of an urgent need to address youth unemployment, poverty and restiveness through education.

“The motivation is clear. Education remains the strongest driver of sustainable development. By equipping young people with globally relevant skills, Adamawa State is investing not just in individuals, but in its future economy, healthcare system, food security and technological advancement,” she said.

She added that the programme aligns with both Adamawa State’s development agenda and the Federal Government’s human capital vision.

The estimated cost per student, excluding flights, is N14.27 million, bringing the total projected expenditure for 200 students to approximately N2.854 billion. Flight costs are calculated separately based on destination and the academic calendar.