By Ladi Jossy
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has approved N1.3 billion scholarship for 997 Nursing and Midwifery students who are indigenes of the State.
The governor noted that the scholarship programme received about 1,080 nominations; 40 from each of the 27 Local Government Areas of the State. However, after an entrance examination, 997 passed and qualified to benefit from the scholarship.
Governor Zulum stated this during the launching of the scholarship programme held in Maiduguri, noting that with the scholarship, the beneficiaries would, on graduation, bridge the workforce demands in the State’s healthcare service delivery due to the increasing population growth.
“The Government has allocated a total of ₦1,305,189,000 for scholarships, with a breakdown of ₦124,149,000 earmarked for tuition fees. The remaining ₦1,181,040,000 will be disbursed as a monthly stipend of ₦30,000 to each beneficiary throughout their studies.”
Governor Zulum noted that his Administration was constructing two colleges of Nursing, one in the Northern part of the State and the other one in the Southern part.
The governor however assured the Nursing and Midwifery students that the two colleges would be completed and open for academic activities this year.
Meanwhile, the governor has also awarded N201 million bursary allowance to 2,010 students of the Maiduguri College of Nursing who had not benefited from the scholarship.
He directed that each of the 2,010 Nursing and Midwifery students be credited with the bursary allowance of N100,000, just as he also
inaugurated a lecture theatre complex and a 3,000 people-capacity multipurpose hall for the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Maiduguri.
He also announced automatic employment for 997 beneficiaries and other Nursing students who had excelled academically, on completion of their studies.
Earlier, Farouk Abubakar, the Registrar of Nursing and Midwifery Council, who was represented by the Director of Standard and Accreditation, Alhassan Ndagi, commended Governor Zulum while delivering a goodwill message at the flag-off of the N1.3 billion scholarship for Nursing and Midwifery students in Maiduguri.
Farouk commended the performance of the Nursing students from Borno, noting that every year at the national examinations students from Borno State score more than 90%.
