By Ben Adoga, Abuja
The FCT Administration has awarded scholarship to 8,236 students, worth over N200 million to enhance the education of Abuja residents.
Mandate Secretary for Education, Sani El-katuzu who made the disclosure said the Administration has already commenced disbursement of N210,319,640 to the 8,236 students.
El-katuzu who disclosed this while performing a symbolic presentation of scholarship award letters to some of the beneficiaries at the FCTA Education Secretariat, reiterated the commitment of the Administration to providing education assistance to indigent students of the FCT at all levels.
While congratulating the beneficiaries, El-Katuzu charged them to make judicious use of the “learning materials and money given” to them, and called on well-meaning individuals, corroborate bodies and organisations to support education of “our children,” because it was no longer feasible for government alone shoulder the responsibility of educating Nigerians.
Director, FCT Scholarship Board, Mrs. Hannah David in a welcome address disclosed that out of the total of 8,236 beneficiaries, primary schools got 2,229 slots, junior secondary schools benefited 2,184; 948 for senior secondary schools and skills acquisition centres were awarded 179.
Other categories include special needs centres which got 343. Nigerian tertiary institutions 2,318, while foreign tertiary institutions got 30 and five braille students, among others.
Mrs David revealed that her Board has been granted approval by the FCT Minister to key into a special needs programme with the Nigerian Farm Craft Centre for the Blind, Isheri Olofin, Lagos, under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
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She also stated that the Board has been given another ministerial approval to begin batched training of best 20 indigenous FCT students in WAEC and NECO examinations in foreign tertiary institutions every award session.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, President, Abuja Indigenous Students Association, AISA, Abdullazeez Ibn Abdullahi expressed gratitude to the board and FCTA, and pledged that they would make them proud by justifying the investment in them.
He also appealed for increment in the funding to enable more students to benefit.
