By Muhammadu Sabiu
The Kano State Government has announced its ambitious plan to invest approximately N3.5 billion in providing foreign scholarships to 550 qualified students for postgraduate programmes abroad.
Dr. Yusuf Kofar-Mata, the Commissioner for Higher Education in the state, revealed this significant initiative during a press briefing held on Friday in Kano, following the weekly state executive council meeting.
According to Mr. Kofar-Mata, these 550 deserving students will have the opportunity to pursue their postgraduate studies at seven prestigious universities in India and Uganda.
This initiative aims to empower and equip these individuals with advanced knowledge and skills that will contribute to the development of the state. Out of a pool of 1,250 applicants, the government meticulously selected the beneficiaries.
Mr. Kofar-Mata emphasised that the selection process was conducted without any bias based on political affiliations, focusing solely on the candidates’ qualifications and their status as indigenous residents of Kano.
In his statement, Mr. Kofar-Mata confirmed that the government is in the final stages of processing the necessary visas for the students.
He also shared that the students are expected to commence their journeys to their respective overseas universities by the end of this month.
“We collected 1,250 applications for our postgraduate programs, and we have screened and come up with a list of 550 qualified indigenes of Kano who will be sponsored for postgraduate studies at various universities overseas,” Mr. Kofar-Mata stated.
“We are in the process of authenticating all the documents of these students for visa preparation. We are hoping that by the end of this month, these students will start moving to their various destinations overseas for them to start their programmes in various fields.”