Kaduna Govt Providing Free, Compulsory Primary, Secondary Education – el-Rufai

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*presents N219n to tertiary institutions for 1,251 students tuition

By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna

Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai of Kaduna State on Tuesday,  presented N219m to three tertiary institutions as full payment of tuition fees till graduation for 1,251 students under the Kaduna State Government’s Merit and Need-based Scholarships Scheme. 

Governor el-Rufai, presented the cheques to tertiary institutions across the country, starting with Kaduna State owned institutions, at a ceremony held at Government House in Kaduna.

The  governor explained that his administration decided to review the system and revamped it and ensured that it is not everyone that gets automatic scholarship, but there should be some criteria that will define who gets scholarship and who doesn’t.

He  said,  “we thought that we should also open a loans window so that those that are not qualified for scholarship will be able to apply for loans to finance their tertiary education which they can then pay over time.

Explaining further, he said, between April 2019 and February 2021 under the new Kaduna State Scholarship and Loan Board, 6,858 students benefitted from 675  million Naira, the scholarship board paid out under the state bursary scheme.

“All of these six thousand, six hundred and fifty eight students where paid hundred and  nine Naira per session which is about ten times what they used to get every year.

Consequentially, “in March 2021, we decided to replace bursary which goes to everyone with a merit and need-base scholarship and directed the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board to present standard guidelines  for processing and awarding scholarship in Kaduna State.

According to him, “the government has a standard and unified process for all residents of Kaduna State.

“The Kaduna State Council approved the guidelines in May 2022, consequentially, they have approved the immediate payment of the sum of  five hundred and twenty four million to  qualifed students,” he explained.

He said, the good news is that going forward, all qualified by merit and indigent students will have their complete tuition fees till graduation paid directly to the institutions.

“The government has also disbursed eight hundred and nineteen million in education loans to five  hundred and nine beneficiaries for payment of tuition fees and upkeep in local and foreign tertiary institutions.

He said, “this is in line with our commitment that no student whose parents are poor who applies and qualifiers for tertiary education to drop out of school on account of an inability to pay tuition fees.

“In addition, this effort has immediate effect of easing parents financial burden and worries over inability to pay tuition fees.

“I am very pleased to see the two young people here that are enjoying this new base scholarship. I wish we have some examples of those many need-base scholarship as well.

“The education policy strategy and legal frame work of  Kaduna State has at its  center, the promotion of equal opportunities,  by providing free and compulsory primary and secondary education for the first twelve years of schooling.

“Secondly, scholarship for qualifed indigent and merit students to acquire tertiary education in Nigeria or abroad.

“Thirdly, education loans for others not qualified for scholarship that is, they are either not poor if they are sons of a provost or  governors, they cannot claim to be poor, or those that do not qualify for merit need-base scholarships, that is they are not straight in students but they have admission to university, they can apply for loans to attend tertiary institutions in Nigeria and abroad.

“We’ve also included in the new education bills awaiting enactment by the Kaduna State House of  Assembly an endowment fund.

“We hope as soon as the law is passed, we will have the endowment fund  launch, we will constitute the  board of trustees to manage the funds independent of government and these funds will only be applied  for educational development in the state,” he explained.

However, the governor said that with enactment of this  education bills, parents and guardians whose children  are not in schools will be prosecuted and jailed without the option of fine.

el-Rufai noted that, any child found roaming the streets will be traced  to his parents or guardians and the they will be  prosecuted because there’s no excuse for a child roaming the streets if twelve years of  education is free.

“Henceforth, in Kaduna State, no child below the age of eighteen or who has not completed twelve years of free compulsory primary,  secondary,  technical or vocational education, may be taken out of school for any reason unless he or she has completed at least twelve years of schooling.

He said, any parent that does that risks a jail term without the option of fine.

“We hope we will hold this policies in place. Every person in Kaduna State will acquire the education needed to climb the ladder of social mobility,” he assured.

He encouraged the young people and parents in Kaduna State to  take advantage of this  and apply as more applications will  task the state government to budget more for scholarship.

He also thanked the management and scholarship board for an excellent job of running a very transparent  loan system.

It would be recalled that the governor said, “my administration inherited a system where the students get 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 because everyone knows that 20,000 or 30,000 is not adequate to do anything for any student in the tertiary institution.”

In his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Hassan Rilwani said, the board is happy to announce the receipt of the cash backing of the sum of N524.128 million for the payment of tuition fees till graduation directly to tertiary institutions across Nigeria. 

“Of this amount, three state owned tertiary institutions are getting the sum of N219 million for 1,251 students.

“Kaduna State University will be paid N158.53 million for 755 students with Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya receiving N33.45 million for 317 students and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic receiving N27.6 million for 179 students. 

“The processing of other students within and outside the state-owned tertiary institutions will also commence in August, 2022. 

“With the need based local scholarship, we are excited that the social register with over 30,000 citizens in tertiary institutions have come readily handy in helping us identify indigent students. It’s now our go to data for credible information. 

” The board will sign MoUs with each of the institutions to ensure that they provide a dedicated account for these funds to aid easy reconciliation amongst other conditions to ensure compliance and monitoring,” he stressed.

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