Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has released over N903 million for the payment of the registration and tuition fees for Sokoto students in various universities in Nigeria and the Republic of Sudan.
Tambuwal disclosed that over N400 million out of the amount is for the payment of tuition and registration fees for 180 graduate and post graduate students in Sudan.
The governor, who made the disclosure in Sokoto on Friday, said that the fees were for the 2015/2016 academic session.
Tambuwal spoke at a ceremony to welcome back the nearly 200 students from the state who recently completed their Master’s Degrees in Arts and Humanities at the Islamic University of Uganda.
According to him, part of the money released would also be used for the payment of upkeep allowances for the students in Sudan for the period under review.
The governor further disclosed about N503m out of the amount is for the payment of registration fees of its students in various universities across Nigeria for the same 2015/2016 academic session.
Tambuwal averred that the present economic situation in Nigeria would not discourage the state government from providing all the needs of its students within and outside Nigeria.
“We have however set up a technical committee to review the award of foreign scholarships to our students henceforth.
“Some of the courses being currently pursued by our students out of Nigeria are being carried by various Nigerian universities.
“We just have to get our priorities right and the state government will fully ‘implement the recommendations of the committee.
I will be personally committed to it and I will not bow to any pressure to do anything unbecoming,” the governor, vowed.
Tambuwal said that the graduates would be adequately utilised to ensure the successful implementation of the state of emergency had recently declared on education.
He commended them for doing their families, Sokoto State and Nigeria proud while in Uganda by excelling academically and being worthy ambassadors.
Sokoto State Commissioner of Higher Education, Alhaji Sahabi Gada, commended Tambuwal for according top priority to the education sector.
A spokesman of the graduates, Yusuf Buhari, commended the state government for expending huge amount of money in their higher educational pursuits.
Tambuwal had at the ceremony presented all the graduates with their various certificates.
