Kebbi Govt sponsors 35 indigent students for medical, pharmaceutical studies in Ethiopia

The Kebbi Government has sponsored 35 indigent students of the state for Medical and Pharmaceutical studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Supreme news reports that the beneficiaries, comprising 25 males and 10 females, were screened and selected from across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.

Speaking at a formal send-off ceremony in honour of the students at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, Gov. Nasir Idris assured that the programme had come to stay.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance, assuring that children of the less privileged would no longer be treated as second-class citizens.

The governor lamented that some parents, particularly the wealthy, connived with their children to change their original courses of study from Medicine to management or arts-related programmes, insisting that such courses were readily available in Nigerian universities and colleges.

While urging the students to remain focused on their studies to achieve the desired results, Idris also announced plans to sponsor children from poor backgrounds to study piloting and aircraft engineering abroad.

“See yourselves as one big family, concentrate on your studies, ask questions where you do not understand, and ensure that you graduate with good grades.

“Offering foreign scholarship is not an easy task. We know the millions of Naira spent to provide you with this opportunity,” he said.

The governor also commended the parents for their confidence in the government by allowing their children to participate in the programme abroad.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Abubakar Isah-Tunga, said: “Your Excellency, I am pleased to present to you 35 students who were screened and found worthy of admission into a pioneer Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“To the glory of God Almighty, out of these 35 students, 10 are Hafiz, meaning they have memorised the entire Holy Qur’an.”

He said 32 out of the total number would study Medicine, while, the remaining three students would study Pharmacy.

According to him, the government has already paid their tuition fees and all other related expenses.

The commissioner described the occasion as an indication that the Kebbi governor “is a professional teacher.”

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Dr Ahmad Umar-Rufa’i described the gesture as dreamlike, noting that it was rare for the poor, less privileged and vulnerable to access such opportunities in previous administrations.

“From what we have seen today, none of the beneficiaries is a child of a senator, minister, commissioner or any other bigwig. We are therefore deeply grateful,” he said.