Zulum Approves N2.65bn for Foreign Scholars

…. Doubles Borno Local Scholarships
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has approved N2.65 billion to settle the 2026 scholarship obligations of 158 indigenes studying in China, Malaysia, India and Egypt, while announcing a 100 per cent increase in local scholarships for students across the state.

The latest intervention brings the state government’s scholarship commitments since 2023 to about N15.29 billion, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on education and human-capital development as a major component of its reconstruction and development agenda.

Zulum announced the measures on Wednesday in Maiduguri during a homecoming ceremony organised for 294 Borno indigenes who recently completed various programmes under the state’s foreign scholarship schemes.

The governor said the state had already spent N12.644 billion on scholarships and related administration since 2023, comprising N8.612 billion on foreign scholarships, N3.836 billion on local scholarships and N196.3 million on administrative support.

According to him, the additional N2.65 billion approved for the 2026 foreign scholarship obligations would ensure that beneficiaries studying abroad continue their programmes without disruption.

He directed the Commissioner for Education and the Borno State Scholarship Board to immediately implement the 100 per cent upward review of local scholarship allowances, describing investment in the education of young people as one of the surest ways of breaking the cycle of poverty and conflict.

“Our administration’s 25-Year Development Plan is anchored on building an equitable society in which every citizen, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to quality education and essential services,” Zulum said.

The governor said the scholarship programme was not merely a welfare intervention but a deliberate investment in the state’s future workforce, particularly at a time when Borno was rebuilding institutions and expanding its infrastructure.

He urged the returning graduates to see their overseas education as a responsibility to the people who funded it, charging them to return the value of the investment through professional excellence, innovation and service to their communities.

The government, he added, would continue to support programmes capable of producing skilled professionals needed to drive development across Borno.

The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Investment, Engr. Lawan Wakilbe, said 294 Borno indigenes were currently covered by the foreign scholarship programme, with beneficiaries studying medicine, engineering and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related disciplines.

Wakilbe said more than N8 billion had been committed to the foreign scholarship programme since 2023, covering tuition, accommodation, feeding, monthly stipends, airfare, travel documentation and other academic expenses.

He disclosed that 171 postgraduate scholars had been trained at two universities in India and five universities in Malaysia at a cost of N3.233 billion.

The postgraduate beneficiaries, he said, are expected to strengthen the academic manpower of tertiary institutions in Borno upon their return.

Sixteen of the postgraduate scholars graduated with distinctions and other academic honours, reflecting what the commissioner described as the academic success of the programme.

The commissioner also disclosed that 104 undergraduate students were receiving training in China, comprising 53 medical students and 51 engineering students.

He said the beneficiaries were being prepared to contribute to critical sectors of the state’s economy, particularly healthcare and infrastructure, including the newly established Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital.

Wakilbe added that the state had maintained regular payment of beneficiaries’ fees and monthly stipends since the programme commenced, with students receiving between $150 and $200 monthly depending on their category.

In another expansion of the scholarship scheme, Zulum directed the Scholarship Board to open applications for 220 academic staff of the University of Maiduguri seeking local and overseas postgraduate training.

He also said the government was considering sponsorship requests from professionals in the Humanities and Arts, while maintaining its commitment to sponsoring qualified Borno indigenes through Nigerian Law School.

The governor said the state’s aviation scholarship programme, which currently has 54 beneficiaries, was also undergoing review as part of efforts to align scholarship opportunities with emerging manpower needs.

The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Dr. Bala Isa, said the foreign scholarship programme originally commenced with 301 beneficiaries.

He explained that the number subsequently dropped to 294 after one scholar died, two withdrew on health grounds, one transferred to another programme and three others discontinued their studies.

Zulum’s latest scholarship decisions come as Borno continues to rebuild its human-capital base after years of insurgency severely disrupted education, displaced communities and weakened access to skilled manpower.

The administration has increasingly positioned education and professional training as central to the state’s long-term recovery, with the scholarship programme designed not only to expand access to higher education but also to produce specialists who can eventually fill critical gaps within Borno’s public institutions and emerging economy.