Borno governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum has approved N1.649 billion to clear outstanding scholarship bills for 300 orphans of Counter-Insurgency Volunteers and other students.
Dr Bala Isa, executive secretary of the Borno State Scholarships Board, announced the move at a press conference in Maiduguri on Tuesday. He said the money will cover the 2024/2025 scholarship awards for eligible students in Nigerian and foreign tertiary institutions.
Breakdown: tuition and accommodation for 272 Borno medical students at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare; tuition for 34 MBBS students at Al‑Ansar University, Maiduguri; and school fees for 60 students at the Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology, Zaria.
The package also includes six months’ allowances for Nursing College students on the state scheme, school fees for the 300 CJTF orphans, return airfares for 133 postgraduate STEM graduates and 39 PhD STEM scholars in India and Malaysia, and return tickets for 104 undergraduates studying in China.
Dr Isa described the approval as “a strategic investment in the state’s future rather than a routine financial commitment.” He assured beneficiaries the board has begun administrative steps to disburse funds directly to institutions, beneficiaries and service providers in line with government procedures.
