By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
No fewer than 70 beneficiaries of the foreign postgraduate scholarship programme of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, departed the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport for India yesterday.
A statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, in Abuja, said the beneficiaries will pursue courses in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other fields.
The statement explained that the Barau I Jibrin Foundation (BIJF) selected 70 students from across the three senatorial districts of Kano State for the first batch of scholarships.
It explained that the Deputy President of the Senate interacted with the beneficiaries at the airport for over one hour.
The statement read, “Full of joy and excitement, the young scholars reiterated their commitment to being good ambassadors of the country abroad. We will make you proud,” they assured the Deputy President of the Senate as they boarded Ethiopian Airlines.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Barau said the initiative was part of his efforts to address the challenges facing the country’s education sector.
He advised them to remain good ambassadors of the country.
The statement further added that Barau charged them to focus on their studies and make the country proud by graduating with outstanding results, pointing out that everything has been provided to ensure that they have a conducive atmosphere of learning.
According to the statement, Barau said, “I was impressed by their dedication, and I remain optimistic, Insha Allah, that they will become high flyers in their fields after graduation.
“This initiative is part of my efforts to address existing educational gaps and fast-track our country’s development. Globally, human capital is the number one asset, and it is against this backdrop that we have taken this step.
“Our youths are our greatest asset, and we recognise the vital role of human capital in developing every nation; ours is not an exception. In this regard, I feel that the best action is to support what President Bola Tinubu is doing by providing access to education for the less privileged youth.
“Once they return, I will continue my efforts to provide the necessary support for them to be successful. This is part of an all-inclusive approach to their education and empowerment.
“Because of my passion for this project, I decided to be present to send them off and offer that fatherly support. Everything is top-notch. They are going to top-notch universities and well-established universities. Some are even going to national universities, not private ones. They will come back as first-class scholars, Insha Allah,” he said.
