BY Khalid Idris Doya
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has revealed plans to provide bursary allowances to students from the North East region studying in higher institutions across Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the representatives of the commission during a meeting of heads of state scholarship boards held in Bauchi yesterday.
The initiative, which aims to support students from the region that has been heavily affected by insurgency and underdevelopment, is expected to ease the financial burden on students and reduce dropout rates, allowing them to focus on their studies.
During the meeting, the heads of the scholarship boards from the North East expressed their appreciation to the NEDC for the initiative.
They acknowledged the importance of the bursary scheme in enhancing educational access and quality for the region’s youth.
Furthermore, they pledged to work in synergy with the NEDC to ensure the successful implementation of the program and help the commission achieve its target.
The NEDC’s bursary program is part of its broader strategy to foster human capital development as a means of rebuilding and advancing the region. Students from the North East are encouraged to stay informed about the application process and eligibility requirements as further details are made available.
The meeting emphasized the vital role of education in the region’s recovery and highlighted the NEDC’s commitment to ensuring greater access to quality education for all.
Briefing the press shortly after their meeting, the Chairman of Heads of Scholarship Boards Forum of the Northeast sub-region, Dr. Abubakar Bukar Kagu, said heads of scholarship boards of six states in the Northeast sub-region have resolved to take into cognisance the critical areas of needs when affording scholarship opportunities to their indigenes aimed at propelling development in their respective states.
Bukar, however, said that in the case of Northeast, it’s not about development only, but also about recovery having come out from a decade-old insurgency crisis.
“This meeting followed the 28th coordinated meeting in Kano last July of all heads of scholarships of Boards Nigeria under federal scholarship Board, where we came to the realization that in terms of education and scholarship support, the Northeast needs to do more”.
“Luckily enough during our Kano meeting last July, organizations like the North East Development Commission, state institutions and other private partners were able to come to the hint of why and how scholarships can be used to accelerate development in our region”.
He explained that the last one decade has been very challenging to the Northeast because of the insurgency crisis it went through, and even in the index of development, the sub-region had always struggled.
“So, we felt the need to know cascade that down to the regional level and look at how we can partner with the organizations and institutions to create more scholarship and education opportunities for our indigenes”, he said.
Dr. Abubakar Kagu who is also the Executive Secretary of Yobe State Scholarship Board, said that the current meeting was supposed to be held in Yobe, but for the crisis that happened recently, whereas Bauchi decided to host the meeting.
“So we all came here to Bauchi, sat and discussed at length, and like you have seen, part of the people that grace this occasion were representatives of the North East Development Commission, representatives of other organizations that are in the scholarship awards, including representation from the Federal Scholarship Board”.
Kagu revealed that one of the good takeaway of the Bauchi meeting is how the NEDC was able to tell the forum that education is among the key components for it’s recovery programme, and for all the aspects of education, it was the award of scholarships that the commission was not able to do what it wanted to do.
He added, “But, for the rest, i.e building of schools, provision of materials, training of teachers, they have done all those things. And the reason why that could not be achieved the way they wanted it, is because the process is cumbersome”.
Dr. Abubakar Bukar Kagu said therefore that their coming together, they were able to cross fertilized on ideas, and share experiences on how the framework should look like with a view to be able to achieve their desired goals.
“The second takeaway was how our partners that attended the meeting were able to tell us about various scholarship opportunities that abound all over the World, and we are going back to our respective bases to inform them about the outcomes”.
The forum chairman gave the third takeaway of the meeting is how they all can look at their critical areas of needs, where attention should be paid in terms of granting scholarships, and based on identified areas, how do they reach out to external institutions and organizations to support them in achieving the set goals.
Also speaking, Bauchi state Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Lydia Haruna Tsammani, represented by the Chairman Scholarship Board Bauchi State described education as the cornerstone of progress and development, and expressed delight with the convergence of the zonal scholarship chiefs to further the cause of education in the subregion.
She stated, “I am proud to see the collaborative efforts being made to enhance educational opportunities in the North East . By working together, we can create a brighter future for our students and empower them to reach their full potential”.
Dr. Lydia Haruna Tsammani expressed optimism that the meeting was fruitful and productive, as ideas were shared, partnerships forged, and strategies developed to maximize the impact of scholarship programs in the Northeast.
The commissioner noted that the forum provides a crucial platform for them to discuss the various opportunities available to the scholarship boards of all six states within the subregion, and appreciated the NEDC, Alsadal Services Private Limited, and other relevant stakeholders who are dedicated to supporting education in our region.
She reiterated the commitment of the Bauchi state government in supporting educational development and ensuring that indigenous students have access to qualitative education both at home and Abroad.
