Gov Sule Flags Off Bursary Disbursement, vows to boost Education

From Leo Zwanke,, Lafia

The governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Sule has reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritizing education as he officially flagged off the 2023/2024 bursary disbursement to students held at the state College of Education, Akwanga.

In his address, Governor Sule appreciated stakeholders for the smooth conduct of the exercise, noting that some officials even returned excess money, a development he described as a demonstration of integrity.

“I appreciate everyone for carrying out this exercise and even coming back to return some money back to us. The demonstration of that has shown that Nasarawa has come of age. I thank you for the transparency, for everything you are doing, for showing discipline, prudence and honesty,” he said.

He stressed the need to handle issues of criminality with genuine reasoning, adding that government must be deliberate in addressing the causes. “It is true that people will still apply even those that are not students. We should have a genuine reason to handle criminality. 

“You can’t handle criminality with carrot and stick. There must be a genuine reason for criminality. It takes sound warning and seeing how we can help. But if somebody continues to do the same thing, then you know this is a criminal by nature and you will have to find a way to handle it,” he added.

The governor emphasized the importance of education, describing it as the foundation of progress. “Education is key. It is beyond important that we all have education. Without proper education we can do nothing. 

“Today we are able to bring Nasarawa State to the limelight. I thank God for giving me the wisdom and a team that worked together to now make Nasarawa State an attractive state. Nasarawa State is number five in the country in WAEC. 

That’s not the number we were when we came in, but because we took some decisions and paid all NECO fees. Right now, anybody writing, whether they can afford it or not, we still pay 100 percent of their NECO. That is the reason why even those who could not afford it but are competent now have the opportunity,” he said.

According to the governor, the state recently paid for over 24,000 students to sit for NECO examinations. He also recalled his own educational journey, linking it to scholarships.

 “I came from a village here in Akwanga where I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to school at Indiana but it was scholarship that gave me that opportunity. That is why when I came in, 

“I reintroduced scholarships which had been stopped either because of abuse or lack of transparency. Today we have about 155 students who are studying outside Nigeria from Nasarawa State,” Sule explained.

The governor also pledged continued budgetary priority for education. “We started with 26 percent, then 31, 36—all allocations only to education. I pledge to take education the way it should be taken,” he declared.

On the appointment of a substantive Provost for the College of Education, Akwanga, Sule said the process was ongoing and assured of fairness. 

“The government is not going to be selfish by bringing somebody because of one influence or the other. I promise to bring someone who has the capacity to manage the institution,” he assured.

In her welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Scholarship Board, Hajiya Sa’adatu O. Yahaya, described the event as a milestone in the state’s pursuit of academic excellence.

The Executive Secretary disclosed that the board, after physical screening and research, identified 16,756 students as beneficiaries of the bursary scheme amounting to ₦592,223,000. “Therefore, the board will revalue the sum of ₦122,110,000 only to the state government,” she added.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, John D. Mamman, commended the governor for his investment in students who he described as the future leaders of Nasarawa State.

Gov Sule Flags Off Bursary Disbursement, vows to boost Education

He acknowledged Sule’s faithfulness, transparency and accountability, noting that the ministry counts on his continued support. 

“We acknowledge the support given to the ministry in terms of registration of students writing WAEC and NECO, with the state now performing very well—fifth in Nigeria and second in North Central after Benue,” he stated.