About one hundred and seventeen students of Kebbi State have departed the country to study para-medical and engineering courses in India.
In his farewell address to the departing students at the Presidential Banquet Hall Birnin Kebbi, the State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the students were sent overseas not because there were no good universities in Nigeria but for the fact that education was universal and it was not out place to have ambassadors in other part of the world.
Governor Atiku Bagudu, challenged the departing students to be good ambassadors of the state and the country.
“This is not the first time Kebbi State Government is sponsoring its students to study abroad, it occurred during previous administrations, but what is different is, in spite of the financial challenges, we have been able to mobilise resources and with approval of the state house of assembly, we are able to send this set of students abroad”.
He commended the state Commissioner for Higher Education and his team for having worked so hard in making the selection and securing the admissions and despite the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions.
“We know we have numerous challenges but education remains one of our major priority and mobilising to send our children abroad is one of those priorities”.
Governor Bagudu, charged the students to work hard to be competitive, mindful of their environment and interact with the society they would be exposed to and advised them to be their brother’s keepers.
The State Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Mukhtar Umar-Bunza, expressed appreciation to the state Governor who according to him, approved and released the amount needed to cater for the selected students to study abroad.
According to him, Governor Bagudu approved the release of $1,060,000 US dollars to cover tuition fees, accommodation, feeding and pocket money to students travelling abroad for studies.
Abdullahi Tukur
