Zulum Approves N1.3bn Scholarship for 997 Nursing, Midwifery Students in Borno
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has approved N1.3 billion scholarship for 997 nursing and midwifery students who are indigenes of the state.
According to a statement yesterday, the scholarship programme received about 1,080 nominations, 40 from each of the 27 local government areas of the state.
It added that after an entrance examination, 997 applicants passed and qualified to benefit from the scholarship.
Zulum, while launching the scholarship programme at the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Maiduguri, noted 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.
He said: "The government has allocated a total of N1,305,189,000 for scholarships, with a breakdown of N124,149,000 earmarked for tuition fees.
"The remaining N1,181,040,000 will be disbursed as a monthly stipend of N30,000 to each beneficiary throughout their studies."
Zulum further stated 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.
He assured that the two colleges would be completed and opened for academic activities this year.
Highlighting the government's efforts, the Commissioner for Education, Lawan Wakilbe, disclosed that from May 29, 2019 to date, Zulum's administration had approved over N6 billion for scholarship with N2.7 billion of that amount approved from May 29, 2023 to date.
Meanwhile, the governor has awarded N201 million bursary allowance to 2,010 students of the Maiduguri College of Nursing who had not benefited from the scholarship. The governor directed that each of the 2,010 nursing and midwifery students be credited with the bursary allowance of N100,000.
Zulum also commissioned a lecture theatre complex and a 3,000 peoplecapacity multipurpose hall for the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Maiduguri.
The governor also announced automatic employment for the 997 beneficiaries and other nursing students who had excelled academically, on completion of their studies.