Niger State government has promised to offer scholarship to any student of the state origin that makes not less than eight distinctions in secondary school certificate examination.
This marks a clear departure from the scholarship offer to brilliant students by the immediate past administration that only provides free educational opportunities for students in primary and post-primary schools in all government owned schools.
Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello said, “Give us eight distinctions and we’ll underwrite your education abroad”.
As stated by a press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Dr. Ibraheem Dooba, the governor further stated that any student of the state origin with eight distinctions, especially in the sciences would be sponsored to study any course of choice in any Nigerian university.
The governor explained that the measure was aimed at giving Nigerlites qualitative and sound education as the bedrock of any meaningful development.
To this end, the governor has approved the establishment of two special primary schools in each of the 25 local government areas in the state in order to meet UNESCO’s standards at every segment of education in the state.
He assured that the number of the special schools would be increased in due course.
He added, “The present administration will not stop to evaluate and monitor the standard of education in the state with a view to addressing the rot in the sector, the”.
The statement further stated that the decision of the new administration in the state was to lay more emphasis on practical, not theoretical solutions to the falling standards of education in Niger State.