Zulum Approves N2.65bn For Foreign Scholars, Doubles Borno Local Scholarships

Governor says N15.29bn spent since 2023 as 294 students return from abroad

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has approved N2.65 billion to settle the 2026 scholarship obligations of 158 indigenes studying in China, Malaysia, India and Egypt, and announced a 100 per cent increase in local scholarships for students across the state.

The governor announced the measures on Wednesday in Maiduguri during a homecoming ceremony organised for 294 Borno indigenes who recently completed various programmes under the state’s foreign scholarship schemes.

● N15.29bn Committed Since 2023

Zulum said the latest intervention brings the state government’s scholarship commitments since 2023 to about N15.29 billion, underscoring the administration’s focus on education and human-capital development as part of its reconstruction agenda.

According to him, the state had already spent N12.644 billion on scholarships and related administration since 2023.

The breakdown: N8.612 billion on foreign scholarships, N3.836 billion on local scholarships and N196.3 million on administrative support.

The additional N2.65 billion approved for 2026, he said, would ensure that beneficiaries studying abroad continue their programmes without disruption.

He also directed the Commissioner for Education and the Borno State Scholarship Board to immediately implement the 100 per cent upward review of local scholarship allowances.

“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,” Zulum said.

He described investment in young people as “one of the surest ways of breaking the cycle of poverty and conflict.”

—294 Graduates Return, More Postgraduates Trained—

The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Investment, Engr. Lawan Wakilbe, said 294 Borno indigenes are currently covered by the foreign scholarship programme, with beneficiaries studying medicine, engineering and other STEM-related disciplines.

Wakilbe said more than N8 billion had been committed to 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 were trained at two universities in India and five universities in Malaysia at a cost of N3.233 billion. The beneficiaries are expected to strengthen the academic manpower of tertiary institutions in Borno upon their return.

Sixteen of the postgraduate scholars graduated with distinctions and other academic honours.

For undergraduates, 104 students are receiving training in China — 53 medical students and 51 engineering students. The commissioner said they are being prepared to contribute to critical sectors, particularly healthcare and infrastructure, including the newly established Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital.

He added that the state has maintained regular payment of beneficiaries’ fees and monthly stipends since the programme commenced, with students receiving between $150 and $200 monthly depending on their category.

—Expansion To Lecturers, Law, Aviation—

In another expansion, 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 state’s aviation scholarship programme, which currently has 54 beneficiaries, is also undergoing review to align opportunities with emerging manpower needs.

Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Dr. Bala Isa, said the foreign scholarship programme originally commenced with 301 beneficiaries. The number dropped to 294 after one scholar died, two withdrew on health grounds, one transferred and three others discontinued their studies.

*Education As Recovery Strategy*
Zulum urged the returning graduates to see their overseas education as a responsibility to the people who funded it, charging them to return the value through professional excellence, innovation and service to their communities.

He said the scholarship programme was not merely welfare but a deliberate investment in the state’s future workforce at a time Borno is rebuilding institutions and expanding infrastructure.

The governor’s latest decisions come as Borno continues to rebuild its human-capital base after years of insurgency that disrupted education and displaced communities.

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The administration has positioned education and professional training as central to the state’s long-term recovery, with the scholarship programme designed to produce specialists who can fill critical gaps in public institutions and the emerging economy.