Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State on Wednesday charged 117 students of the state departing the country for studies abroad to be good ambassadors of the state.
He gave the charge at a send-off organised by the state government held at the Presidential Lodge, Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
The Kebbi State Government had offered N907 million foreign scholarships to 117 indigenes of the state to study different courses in Ukraine, India and Sudan.
Total, 56 are to study Medicine and Surgery while others will undertake other courses.
Bagudu said, “Let me start by appreciating and thanking Almighty Allah for showing us this day, in which some of our children are joining what has happened before in going abroad in search of education.
“This is not the first time Kebbi State Government is sponsoring its students to study abroad, it had happened in previous administrations, but what is different is, in spite of the financial challenges, we have been able to mobilise resources and with approval of the state house of assembly, we are able to send this set of students abroad.
“We know we have numerous challenges but education remains our priorities and mobilising to send our children abroad is one of those priorities.
“I congratulate the Commissioner for Higher Education and his able team that have worked so hard in making the selection, securing the admissions and working hard to ensure that in spite of all the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions and others, today we are good to go.”
He, however, explained that sending students abroad was not an acknowledgement that there were no good schools in Nigeria, adding, “Sending children abroad is not to suggest that those studying in Nigerian institutions are anything less.
“Education is universal, at all times you will want ambassadors in other centres around the world so that in addition to what they are being thought in schools, they will also observe what those cultures and societies are doing differently, so that they can help to enrich ours, this is one of the major reasons,” he noted.
While urging them to, first of all, know that they were created by God Almighty equally but those who work hard succeed, Bagudu charged them to work hard, to be competitive, to be mindful of their environment and interact with the society they would be exposed to.
He advised them to be their brothers’ keepers, observing that studying abroad was not as easy as they thought.
In his speech, the Deputy Speaker, Kebbi State House of Assembly, Alhaji Usman Mohammed-Anka, called on the students to make judicious use of what he described as a unique opportunity to achieve their desired goals and objectives.
He advised that the Kebbi State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to ensure that a bond was signed between the state government and the benefitting students.
This, according to him, is to ensure that the students come back to the state and work after graduation instead of taking another job elsewhere.
Prof. Mukhtar Umar-Bunza, the Commissioner for Higher Education, appreciated Bagudu who according to him, in his magnanimity approved and released the amount needed to cater for the selected students.
He recalled that in January, Bagudu had approved and released N450 million being the balance of registration fees for indigenous students that would study in foreign universities in Ukraine, India and Sudan to study medicine and engineering courses.
“It could be recalled on 1 July 2021, the governor released N450 million representing 50 per cent of the total fees of the grand total amounting to N907 million for the payment of registration fees for the students.
“On 17 Dec. 2021, Bagudu graciously approved the release of $1,060,000 US dollars to cover tuition fees, accommodation, feeding and modest pocket money to students travelling abroad for studies.
“In addition to the N355 million that was approved to cater for logistics including international and local airfares, visa processing fees, police screening, crime-free certification, drug-free certification from Federal Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs for the 262 students,” he said.
Umar-Bunza expressed immense appreciation to Bagudu for committing such enormous resources to support and sponsor indigenes of the state for studies.
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“Such commendable and historic landmark by the governor has changed the landscape and manpower climate for the better since 2015.
“It was worth mentioning that the number of graduates of the state origin from various institutions of learning both within and outside Nigeria has multiplied since Bagudu took over the mantle of leadership of the state,” the commissioner said.
Responding on behalf of benefiting students, Malam Jibril Aliyu appreciated Gov. Bagudu for the gesture and promised to be good ambassadors of the state and the nation at large. (NAN)
