The Katsina state government has commenced the disbursement of over N689 million in bursary allowances to more than 19,000 verified continuing students in higher institutions across the state for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise was flagged off by Governor Dikko Umar Radda at the conference hall of the Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management. The event also featured the presentation of scholarship awards and the inauguration of the Tinubu-Dikko Educational Beneficiaries Network.
Speaking at the ceremony, Radda said the disbursement followed the approval of a 100 per cent increase in bursary allowances to ease the financial burden on students and their families.
He explained that the previous bursary rates had remained unchanged for nearly two decades despite the rising cost of education and the increasing financial demands on students.
The governor said the government was also working towards establishing a sustainable scholarship trust fund to strengthen long-term funding for education and ensure continued support for students.
Radda further disclosed that more than 200 Katsina State students were studying abroad under the state’s scholarship programme in countries including Egypt, China, Ethiopia and Ghana.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Higher and Vocational Education, Sani Aliyu, said the initiative reflected the government’s commitment to educational development, academic excellence and inclusive access to learning opportunities.
He explained that the programme included scholarship awards, recognition of outstanding academic performance, support for students with special needs, merit-based scholarships, subject-specific scholarships and awards for Qur’anic memorizers.
Aliyu said the various interventions were designed to recognise academic achievements while ensuring that students from different backgrounds could benefit from government support.
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Scholarship Board, Aminu Salisu Tsauri, said the intervention demonstrated the administration’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities, reducing the financial burden on families and promoting academic excellence.
Tsauri explained that the increase in bursary allowances was introduced to address longstanding concerns over the rates, which had remained unchanged for 19 years.
He said the review was necessary to reflect the changing economic realities and the increasing cost of meeting students’ educational needs.
On foreign scholarships, the executive secretary highlighted the government’s intervention to settle outstanding financial obligations affecting about 80 Katsina students studying in various countries.
According to him, the students are enrolled in institutions in Ethiopia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Egypt.
The bursary disbursement and scholarship awards form part of the state government’s efforts to support students, improve access to higher education and sustain academic development across Katsina State.