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, while announcing a 100 per cent increase in local scholarships for students across the state.
The latest intervention brings the state government’s scholarship commitments since 2023 to about N15.29 billion, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on education and human-capital development as a major component of its reconstruction and development agenda.
Zulum 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.
The Governor said the state had already spent N12.644 billion on scholarships and related administration since 2023, comprising N8.612 billion on foreign scholarships, N3.836 billion on local scholarships and N196.3 million on administrative support.
According to him, the additional N2.65 billion approved for the 2026 foreign scholarship obligations would ensure that beneficiaries studying abroad continue their programmes without disruption.
He directed the state Commissioner for Education and the Borno State Scholarship Board to immediately implement the 100 per cent upward review of local scholarship allowances, describing investment in the education of young people as one of the surest ways of breaking the cycle of poverty and conflict.
“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.
The Governor said the scholarship programme was not merely a welfare intervention but a deliberate investment in the state’s future workforce, particularly at a time when Borno was rebuilding institutions and expanding its infrastructure.
He urged the returning graduates to see their overseas education as a responsibility to the people who funded it, charging them to return the value of the investment through professional excellence, innovation and service to their communities.
The government, he added, would continue to support programmes capable of producing skilled professionals needed to drive development across Borno.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Investment, Engr. Lawan Wakilbe, said 294 Borno indigenes were currently covered by the foreign scholarship programme, with beneficiaries studying medicine, engineering and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics-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 had been trained at two universities in India and five universities in Malaysia at a cost of N3.233 billion.
The postgraduate beneficiaries, he said, 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, reflecting what the commissioner described as the academic success of the programme.
The Commissioner also disclosed that 104 undergraduate students were receiving training in China, comprising 53 medical students and 51 engineering students.
He said the beneficiaries were being prepared to contribute to critical sectors of the state’s economy, particularly healthcare and infrastructure, including the newly established Kashim Ibrahim Teaching Hospital.
Wakilbe added that the state had 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.
In another expansion of the scholarship scheme, Zulum directed the Scholarship Board to open applications for 220 academic staff of the University of Maiduguri seeking local and overseas postgraduate training.
He also said the government was considering sponsorship requests from professionals in the Humanities and Arts, while maintaining its commitment to sponsoring qualified Borno indigenes through Nigerian Law School.
The Governor said the state’s aviation scholarship programme, which currently has 54 beneficiaries, was also undergoing review as part of efforts to align scholarship opportunities with emerging manpower needs.
The Executive Secretary of the Borno State Scholarship Board, Dr. Bala Isa, said the foreign scholarship programme originally commenced with 301 beneficiaries.
He explained that the number subsequently dropped to 294 after one scholar died, two withdrew on health grounds, one transferred to another programme and three others discontinued their studies.
Zulum’s latest scholarship decisions come as Borno continues to rebuild its human-capital base after years of insurgency severely disrupted education, displaced communities and weakened access to skilled manpower.
The administration has increasingly positioned education and professional training as central to the state’s long-term recovery, with the scholarship programme designed not only to expand access to higher education but also to produce specialists who can eventually fill critical gaps within Borno’s public institutions and emerging economy.
Group Takes Tinubu Re-election Campaign to Abuja Streets
The 2027 presidential election campaign took an early turn towards grassroots mobilisation in Abuja on Wednesday as the Hope Alive Initiative (HAI) deployed about 40 giant, colourful human mascots across strategic locations in the Federal Capital Territory to promote President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The unusual street activation, which marked the opening phase of HAI’s multi-platform campaign, saw the mascots deployed around major roundabouts, markets, motor parks and other busy areas, drawing the attention of motorists, commuters and residents.
Carrying banners and campaign messages, the mascots moved through parts of the capital as HAI sought to take its pro-Tinubu message beyond conventional political gatherings and directly into public spaces.
The initiative is the first phase of a broader campaign that will combine physical mobilisation with digital and traditional media, including a city-wide SMS campaign, a weekly Pidgin-language radio programme and an original campaign jingle.
In a statement signed by its Director of Press and Communications, Ernest Omoarelojie, HAI said it decided to support Tinubu’s re-election based on what it described as the administration’s “bold reforms and initiatives” aimed at repositioning the Nigerian economy and strengthening national institutions.
The organisation listed reforms in the petroleum sector, developments in the foreign exchange market, increased government revenue and foreign reserves, moves towards greater Local Government autonomy, police and internal security reforms, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), tax reforms and major road projects among the areas it believes should inform the 2027 electoral debate.
“While these reforms have come with short-term challenges, we believe they are difficult but necessary steps towards a more sustainable, prosperous and better governed Nigeria,” the organisation said.
Omoarelojie, who spoke during the street mobilisation, said the group was deliberately adopting a grassroots approach to ensure that its message reached Nigerians outside traditional political structures.
“We are asking Nigerians to look beyond sentiment. Let us look at the facts as they are,” he said.
According to him, citizens should assess the administration on the basis of its policies, programmes and measurable outcomes rather than political sentiments.
He cited the student loan scheme, economic reforms, foreign exchange management and infrastructure development as areas in which HAI believes the administration has made significant progress.
The organisation acknowledged that some of the government’s reforms had imposed short-term economic difficulties on citizens but argued that their long-term benefits would depend on sustained implementation.
HAI’s campaign will also deploy SMS messaging as a direct communication channel to residents across Abuja.
The organisation said the digital mobilisation would constitute the first stage of a wider communication strategy designed to expand as the 2027 election approaches.
Another major component of the campaign is a weekly Pidgin-language radio programme titled Wetin Tinubu Don Do Sef, designed to explain government policies and programmes in language accessible to a broad section of Nigerians.
According to HAI, each episode will concentrate on a specific policy area, examine its impact and explain how citizens could benefit from relevant government initiatives.
The programme is expected to feature a presenter alongside guests or co-hosts, with expert perspectives, citizen contributions and practical examples incorporated into discussions.
HAI said the programme would subsequently be syndicated on selected radio stations across the country as the campaign expands.
The organisation is also preparing an original campaign jingle intended to give the mobilisation effort a distinct identity and reinforce its political message across radio and other platforms.
HAI said the jingle draws inspiration from the tradition of memorable Nigerian political campaign songs, including the famous Hope ’93 campaign associated with the late businessman and politician, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
The organisation said its August 19 street activation was only the beginning of a sustained campaign that would combine grassroots mobilisation, traditional broadcasting, digital communication and public engagement.
Subsequent phases will focus on explaining government policies and programmes in the economy, education, security and infrastructure sectors, with particular emphasis on NELFUND, economic reforms, security initiatives and road projects.
Omoarelojie said the 2027 election would offer Nigerians an opportunity to examine the country’s direction and decide whether the Tinubu administration had earned another mandate.
He urged voters to engage with the issues and judge the administration by its record, policies and their effects on citizens rather than political rhetoric.
With its deployment of human mascots, SMS mobilisation, Pidgin broadcasting and campaign music, HAI’s Abuja activation signals an effort to give the Tinubu re-election campaign a distinctly grassroots character long before the 2027 presidential contest reaches its peak.
