Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has ordered the removal of tax clearance as a requirement for accessing scholarships, making it easier for students from poor backgrounds to access financial support.
The Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board, Prof. Yahaya Saleh Ibrahim, while speaking to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday, said the governor’s executive order aims to improve access to scholarships for students who need it most.
Ibrahim also revealed that essay writing is still a requirement, but it’s now used to identify areas where students need support, rather than as a barrier to accessing scholarships.
“The Governor has removed the requirement for tax clearance, which has made it easier for students from poor backgrounds to access scholarships.
“The essay writing is still a requirement, but it is now done to identify areas where students need support, rather than as a barrier to accessing scholarships,” he said.
He added that to further simplify the application process, the governor has established seven Scholarship Awards Zonal Units in rural areas, each equipped with 30 computers.
He said these units are located in Zaria, Kafanchan, Kachia, Pambegua, Makarfi, Kaduna-North, and Kaduna South zones.
“The establishment of these zonal units has eased the burden of coming to the Board’s headquarters in Kaduna and the associated congestion,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim added the the Board has also introduced on-the-spot scholarship enrolments for indigenous citizens across tertiary institutions, which has enlisted over 4330 potential beneficiaries awaiting disbursement.
Additionally, he said, 3,397 students have been awarded local scholarships from May 2023 to date, and 30 students have benefitted from third-party Tertiary Education Loans.
The governor, he said, has also demonstrated his commitment to supporting students with special needs, with the inclusion of government special scholarship intervention programs for innovation, aviation, meritorious, underprivileged, and People with Special needs (PLWD) students.
“The inclusion of government special scholarship intervention programs for innovation, aviation, meritorious, underprivileged, and People with Special needs (PLWD) students, in the state is at the heart of His Excellency’s agenda,” Ibrahim said.
He continued that the governor’s initiatives have been hailed as a major breakthrough in the state’s education sector, with students and parents expressing their gratitude for his commitment to supporting education in the state.
In a related development, he said governor Sani has given employment to six medical students who recently graduated from Cuba and 14 of their counterparts who passed out from Uganda.
According to Ibrahim, the 14 nursing graduates from Uganda “were all automatically employed into the Kaduna State civil service by His Excellency the Governor of Kaduna State.”
