Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, has launched a scholarship programme for 300 Kano students across the country under the Domestic Scholarship Programme of the Barau Jibrin Foundation.
He said the scholarship would be for those studying artificial intelligence, agriculture, the environment, and courses in new education fields.
He explained that the students would study at major Nigerian universities, such as the University of Ife, the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, and Bayero University.
“Well, we’re here in a pursuit to bring development to our region, to bring development to our state and to bring development to our nation because education is a bedrock of every society. And any society’s desire for development must take its educational system seriously. Building a sound and effective educational system in the country is not what a government alone can do.
“It’s what everyone, all households, must participate in getting that done. From the government to religious bodies, to high network individuals, in fact, even the ordinary person, everyone must come on board.
And that’s why we are executing this initiative.
“We started by sending our students outside of the shores of this country to study AI, artificial intelligence, and other courses and programs so that they can bring the knowledge acquired to develop our country. I felt that that was not enough; we also had to look at our institutions in this country that have established themselves as comparable to what we have overseas.
“An example is Bayero University. It has established itself under the leadership of the UN to attain a level that can be compared to any university in the world.
“So also universities like Ahmadu Bello University, University of Ife, University of Ibadan, UNN, University of Nsukka, and the rest, that we need to have those that were not able to make it to, I mean, within the program that we did to send our students to outside of this country, that we need to have these other ones to study at home, particularly in those areas that are needed in our country.
“Apart from AI and the rest, we also have areas like agriculture, which is the bane of our economy, particularly here in the north, metallurgy, oil exploration, climate change, that’s the study of environment, and the rest, so that all these areas, experts in these areas, will bring what they’ve learned to develop our country.
“That’s why we decided to invite you here, so that we can get you interviewed, get the best amongst you, so that we can sponsor you 100 percent, so that you can go out there, acquire this knowledge,” he stated.
In his speech, the vice chancellor of Bayero University, Professor Sagir Abbas, described the scholarship as visionary, saying educating a person is like educating a nation.
“This is part of human capital development and promotion of higher education in Nigeria.
“The decision to sponsor postgraduate education for deserving Nigerians, especially those from Kano State, is not only commendable but visionary.
“It is a powerful statement of belief in the transformative power of education. Indeed, when you educate one person, at this level, you are preparing a leader, a researcher, and a problem solver,” he stated.
