It is high time to bring to the attention of His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the issues surrounding scholarship distribution methods in Kano State. As a concerned citizen, I call on and urge His Excellency to prioritize local scholarships, enabling indigenous Kano students studying at various institutions across the country to benefit from the state government’s annual scholarship program.
It is indeed concerning that the Kano State government, under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration, has not provided local scholarships for students through the Kano State Scholarship Board. The current focus on supporting students who have already obtained their first degrees, while neglecting those struggling to achieve their first degree, is alarming. Some university students are dropping out due to financial difficulties and constraints.
Furthermore, with utmost respect and honor, I am calling on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to reconsider the state scholarship allocation and prioritize local students who are struggling to fund their education. This would help address and mitigate the issue of students dropping out of tertiary institutions due to financial constraints.
Your Excellency Sir, I am not against your policy of sending students abroad for their postgraduate studies. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that students from Kano State studying within Nigerian campuses are facing financial difficulties due to the country’s economic situation. Hence, it is important for the Governor to direct the State Scholarship Board to open its portal for students to benefit from the state government’s scholarship program, just like their counterparts in other states are benefiting.
Unfortunately, since assuming office, no official scholarships have been given to students studying at various institutions across the country. Although the state government paid the school fees of students who were unable to pay due to fee increments at federal universities like Bayero University Kano, Federal University Dutse, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, and the University of Maiduguri, my question is: What about those studying at state universities, polytechnics, and other colleges of education in the country? Do we know the kind of situations they are going through? What efforts has the government made to support them? Why is Governor Abba’s administration giving total attention only to those who have first-class degrees?
I recently came across a form on social media calling on Kano State indigenes with first-class degrees to apply for postgraduate scholarships within Nigeria. Additionally, the Governor’s visit to students studying in India is a welcome and commendable effort. However, it is unfortunate that there has been no announcement about scholarships for undergraduate students at the local level.
No doubt, it is essential to support brilliant students who secured first-class degrees in their undergraduate studies to further their education. However, it is equally imperative for the state government to consider supporting those pursuing diplomas, NCEs, and first degrees in Nigerian public institutions.
I strongly believe that supporting brilliant students with first-class degrees is an excellent idea and would undoubtedly yield positive outcomes for the development of Kano State’s education sector. However, one must ask: What efforts are being made to support those pursuing diplomas, NCEs, and first degrees? It is time for the Governor to refocus on local students and support them with scholarships, as countless students have lost interest in education due to the country’s economic situation.
Everyone recognizes the efforts of the Kano State government in providing quality education to vulnerable citizens. However, it is concerning that students pursuing their first degrees at universities across the country seem to be neglected. This oversight poses a significant threat to the education sector in Kano State. If the government neglects the welfare of these students, it may wake up tomorrow to find it difficult to identify first-class students to sponsor for postgraduate studies abroad.
Similarly, states like Jigawa, Borno, and Kaduna offer special scholarships to brilliant students who graduated with first-class degrees from Nigerian universities. Moreover, they continue to support students with local scholarships every year for those studying at various institutions in the country. These local scholarships provided by respective state governments help alleviate the challenges students face on campuses.
To conclude, I call on and appeal to His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to follow in the footsteps of his counterparts in states like Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa, who sponsor first-class students to study abroad for postgraduate degrees while still providing scholarships every year to students pursuing their first degrees within Nigeria.
Sale Rusulana Yanguruza
Department of Mass Communication
Borno State University
