The Kaduna State Government says it has invested over ₦1 billion in scholarships, student loans and educational support programmes over the past three years as part of efforts to make higher education more affordable and accessible.
Speaking during a press briefing in Kaduna, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said Governor Uba Sani has continued to prioritise education through policies aimed at reducing financial barriers for students across the state.
According to Maiyaki, one of the administration’s major interventions was the 50 percent reduction in tuition fees across all state-owned tertiary institutions through an executive order signed by the governor.
He disclosed that the government has spent ₦493.27 million on overseas scholarships for 42 students studying critical courses such as medicine, engineering, cybersecurity and computer science, while ₦425.52 million has been disbursed as local scholarships to indigent students in tertiary institutions nationwide.
The commissioner also revealed that ₦105 million has been committed to the state’s student loan scheme, while an additional ₦27.25 million was released to assist law graduates with registration fees for the Nigerian Law School.
Maiyaki said the combined impact of the tuition reduction, scholarship awards and loan programmes reflects the administration’s commitment to developing human capital and ensuring that no qualified student is denied access to education because of financial difficulties.
Providing further details, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board, Yahaya Ibrahim, said more than 21,000 students across over 40 higher institutions have benefited from the scholarship programme.
He noted that Kaduna has become a model for educational support by operating both scholarship and student loan schemes on a large scale, adding that beneficiaries enjoy flexible repayment plans that reduce financial pressure after graduation.
One of the beneficiaries, Al’Ameen Waheed, a student of Kaduna State University, described the programme as a lifeline, saying it has eased the burden of tuition payments on his family and allowed him to focus on his studies.
