The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Ibrahim Jibrin, has disbursed scholarships to 4,183 students of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, in Kano State.
The beneficiaries, drawn from Kano North Senatorial District, received financial support to aid their academic pursuits. Students enrolled in the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme were given N20,000, while those in the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme received N50,000.
The scholarship disbursement exercise was conducted on Wednesday at the college’s theatre hall by a delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Senate President, Professor Muhammad Ibn Abdallah.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Senator Barau, Malam Ismail Mudashir, said the Provost of the institution, Dr. Kabiru Musa Bichi, was represented by the Deputy Provost, Dr. Bashir Sabo Abubakar.
The statement noted that members of the college management were present to receive the delegation.
Speaking during the event, Professor Abdallah described the intervention as part of Senator Barau’s continuous investment in education across Kano North and other parts of the state.
“We are here, like every year, to provide support and scholarships to students from Kano North Senatorial District,” he said.
“The scholarship covers both NCE and Degree students, with N20,000 for NCE students and N50,000 for Degree students.”
Professor Abdallah added that similar interventions had been extended to other institutions, including Bayero University Kano (BUK), Northwest University, and other colleges of education.
He said Senator Barau had also initiated several development projects at the college, including the construction of academic blocks, provision of solar streetlights, and establishment of reading halls.
In his remarks, the Deputy Provost, Dr. Bashir Sabo Abubakar, described the scholarship as a life-changing intervention and said the college has benefited from the scheme consistently for three years.
“Every year, the number of beneficiaries keeps increasing. This clearly shows that the Deputy President of the Senate places education as a top priority,” he said.
Dr. Abubakar also disclosed that Senator Barau was constructing the college’s administrative block at the permanent site at a multibillion-naira cost, and had installed solar streetlights at both the temporary and permanent sites to improve security.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the funds judiciously, particularly for registration and academic purposes, and thanked Senator Barau on behalf of the college management and students.
The Special Adviser on Women Affairs to the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Yardada Maikano Bichi, said about 60 per cent of the beneficiaries were women, stressing that educating a woman is equivalent to educating a whole society.
A former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Professor Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi, commended the senator for the gesture.
Some beneficiaries also expressed gratitude, describing the scholarship as timely and impactful.
“Senator Barau is an extraordinary leader who champions the transformation of education in Kano. He leads by example. We cannot thank him enough. May Almighty Allah reward him and continue to guide him,” one of the beneficiaries, Khadija Abdullahi, said.
