The Katsina State Government has announced the disbursement of over N640.6 million as scholarship grants for financially disadvantaged students from the state who are pursuing higher education in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
According to Sirajo Umar, the Director of Operations at the State Scholarship Board, a total of 14,443 new students from the 2020/2021 academic session and 33,492 returning students from the 2021/2022 academic session in 126 higher learning institutions have received these grants.
During the fourth quarter meeting of the state Social Protection Technical Working Group in Katsina, Umar revealed the board’s intention to propose an increase in scholarship allowances to align with the current economic situation. Furthermore, there are plans to introduce skills-based scholarships, both locally and internationally.
The state government aims to expand scholarship opportunities within and outside the country to promote better access to quality education. Additionally, there are plans to collaborate with development partners to enhance educational support for students and to introduce a corporate social responsibility policy for companies operating in the state to contribute to the advancement of education.
Umar also highlighted the board’s initiative to digitize its operations for efficient service delivery and to monitor students’ performance under government scholarships.
The meeting of the Social Protection Technical Working Group received support from UNICEF and the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with the objective of promoting the state’s social protection policy.
NAN
