Press Release: Nigeria, Kebbi, must move with the world, allocate more resources to education sector

Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has harped on the need for both Nigeria, as a nation, as well as Kebbi State, to endeavor to move with the subsisting global trends in scholarship .

This is as just as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum has stressed the need for the three tiers of government to allocate more resources to the education sector .

Bagudu Spoke on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi, when he declared open a Two-Day Workshop on Scholarship Opportunities, with a Theme: "High Level Stakeholders Engagement on Improving Scholarship Opportunities For Commonwealth Students.

It was organized by the Commonwealth Students Association (CSA) in conjunction with the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), and the Office of the Special Adviser on NYSC and Scholarship to the Kebbi State Governor.

Bagudu said : "I am really impressed with the creativity of the Team, as well as its keenly enthusiastic and brilliant members .

"I have to also congratulate you and these are the first steps, to think differently and better the outcomes of the Students."

"This is also part of the only plausible ways to make sure that Students from the state and Nigeria , in general , remain afloat in the global competition."

According to the Kebbi State Governor, the forum will enable potential foreign students from the State properly identified and appropriate placements found for them .

Bagudu added that , such Students would also be able to know the environmental and cultural peculiarities of their possible host countries .

This, he noted, will also enable them to easily adapt to such peculiarities, while reminding their peculiar local demands and manpower needs.

Bagudu said," forums like this are enablers and we have been challenging that, let us demand of our government."

"Also, let us show the government the way and let us not assume that , some of the problems we are facing have been solved elsewhere."

"Let us also not assume that, the government knows everything, but let us come and partner in many ways like this ."

Bagudu further stressed the need to be a society where , " we recognize that to do better as a society , we have to reward those champions that can represent us in the world .

" This means sacrificing more resources and embody more scholarship schemes, in line with our peculiar human resources needs .

" We should also be cognizant of the changing world . For instance , what we did before , cannot be done today .

" Another example is how one can now start and complete a course of choice ,online and free ."

One of the Panel discussants, Professor Muntaz Sohag of Federal University Birnin Kebbi said investment in education was the best thing any nation or state could to its people and Kebbi State he noted, is continuously investment in the education of its students.

Professor Sohaq acknowledged that Nigeria is blessed with talented students and that scholarship was one of such vital conducive factor which could motivate learning to greater success by students.

He appealed to students to avail themselves and take advantage of the ample opportunity at their disposal.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Hon Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Gidado Aliyu Kaliel and the Special Adviser to the Governor on NYSC and Scholarship Matters, Murtala Habib Jega while commending the organizers of the workshop also assured them of continuous support of Kebbi State Government in promoting educational pursuit of youths in the state especially students to achieve success.

The Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Hon Gidado Aliyu Kaliel told the gathering that in spite of economic challenges and the raging Coronavirus pandemic, the Kebbi State Government under the leadership of Senator Abubakar Atiku unfolded myriad of opportunities to positively engage Kebbi youths in dialogue, skills acquisition as well as facilitate job opportunities and interventions from federal government and other organizations.

He urged the Commonwealth and other organizations to consider Kebbi youths for scholarship award.

The Special Adviser to the governor on NYSC and Scholarship Matters, Hon. Murtala Habib Jega said Kebbi Government under Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu investment hugely in both basic and higher education since he come to power in 2015.

He averred ' Kebbi State Students are enjoying payment of tuition fees more than any other state in Nigeria.

" From the inception of this administration, the government had spent over 2 billion naira in sponsoring over 100 students in different universities in Nigeria '.

Earlier, Bashar Aliyu Buhari, the Coordinator of Young African Leaders Initiative ( YALI), Kebbi Network explained that the program was in partnership with Commonwealth Students Association and office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on NYSC and Scholarship Matters, came up with the initiative to get young people in Kebbi State know how to access International scholarship opportunities.

According to him ' Most of our graduates are very intelligent, who graduated with outstanding results could not get slot due to some challenges and other guidelines set by the international organizations ".

' Facilitators from Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Commission will train our young people on the procedures and guidelines on how to meet the criteria among other advantages of the workshop' , he said.

He thanked the Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku for expressing his commitment to always support the youth Initiative.

Signed:
YAHAYA SARKI
Special Adviser (SA) Media to Kebbi State Governor Governor
2/12/2020