Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has approved N2.65 billion to meet the 2026 scholarship obligations of 158 indigenes studying in China, Malaysia, India and Egypt, while ordering a 100 per cent increase in local scholarship allowances for students across the state.
Zulum announced the measures on Wednesday in Maiduguri during a homecoming ceremony for 294 Borno indigenes who recently completed various academic programmes under the state’s foreign scholarship schemes.
The latest approval brings the state government’s scholarship commitments since 2023 to about N15.29 billion, reinforcing the administration’s focus on education and human-capital development as key pillars of Borno’s post-insurgency reconstruction agenda.
The governor said the state had already spent N12.644 billion on scholarships and related administrative costs since 2023. The expenditure includes N8.612 billion on foreign scholarships, N3.836 billion on local scholarships and N196.3 million on administration.
He said the additional N2.65 billion would ensure that Borno students studying abroad complete their programmes without disruption.
Zulum also directed the Commissioner for Education and the Borno State Scholarship Board to immediately implement the 100 per cent increase in local scholarship allowances.
He described investment in education as one of the most effective ways of breaking the cycle of poverty and conflict, stressing that the state’s 25-Year Development Plan was designed to build an equitable society with access to quality education and essential services.
“Our administration’s 25-Year Development Plan is anchored on building an equitable society in which every citizen, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to quality education and essential services,” the governor said.
Zulum urged returning graduates to regard their overseas education as a responsibility to the people of Borno, charging them to repay the state’s investment through professional excellence, innovation and service to their communities.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Investment, Engr. Lawan Wakilbe, said 294 Borno indigenes were currently covered by the foreign scholarship programme, with beneficiaries studying medicine, engineering and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related disciplines.
Wakilbe said more than N8 billion had been invested in the foreign scholarship programme since 2023, covering tuition, accommodation, feeding, monthly stipends, airfare, travel documentation and other academic expenses.
He disclosed that 171 postgraduate scholars had been trained at two universities in India and five universities in Malaysia at a cost of N3.233 billion. Sixteen of the scholars graduated with distinctions and other academic honours.
According to him, the postgraduate beneficiaries are expected to strengthen the academic manpower of Borno’s tertiary institutions upon their return.
The commissioner further disclosed that 104 undergraduate students were studying in China, comprising 53 medical students and 51 engineering students. He said the beneficiaries were being prepared to contribute to critical sectors such as healthcare and infrastructure, including the newly established Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital.
Wakilbe added that the government had maintained regular payment of tuition and monthly stipends since the programme commenced, with beneficiaries receiving between $150 and $200 monthly, depending on their category.
As part of the expansion of the scholarship scheme, Zulum directed the Scholarship Board to open applications for 220 academic staff of the University of Maiduguri seeking local and overseas postgraduate training.
He said the government was also considering sponsorship requests from professionals in the Humanities and Arts, while maintaining its commitment to sponsoring qualified Borno indigenes through the Nigerian Law School.
The governor added that the state’s aviation scholarship programme, which currently has 54 beneficiaries, was being reviewed to align training opportunities with emerging manpower requirements.
The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Dr. Bala Isa, said the foreign scholarship programme began with 301 beneficiaries but the number had since dropped to 294 following the death of one scholar, the withdrawal of two on health grounds, the transfer of one beneficiary and the discontinuation of studies by three others.
The renewed scholarship intervention comes as Borno intensifies efforts to rebuild its human-capital base after years of insurgency disrupted education, displaced communities and created significant shortages of skilled professionals.
The state government has increasingly positioned education, professional training and skills development at the centre of its long-term recovery strategy, with the scholarship programme aimed at producing specialists capable of filling critical manpower gaps and driving Borno’s reconstruction and economic development.
