By Yunusa UMAR
In a landmark gesture aimed at strengthening education and promoting home-grown development, Niger State Governor, Hon. Umaru Mohammed Bago, has announced full tuition sponsorship for 809 newly admitted students of Abdulkadir Kure University, Minna (AKUM), for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Governor Bago, who made the announcement through his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, during the university’s matriculation ceremony held in Minna, said the tuition fees of all 809 students would be waived entirely by the state government.
“The governor made the declaration during the matriculation of the 809 students of the University for the 2024/2025 academic session. He also announced that 2% of the total investment of the state will be used as an endowment for the university,” Ibrahim stated.
Governor Bago said his administration is determined to implement bold initiatives that will make Abdulkadir Kure University a model institution within Nigeria and beyond. In a significant policy shift, he also revealed the cancellation of an earlier plan to sponsor students abroad on scholarships, explaining that such funds would now be redirected to strengthen the state’s educational infrastructure.
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“It is not wrong for a leader to make a statement and retract it. We had a vision to take some students to foreign lands on scholarship, but today, I have cancelled that decision. I will rather invest the money budgeted for foreign scholarships here,” the governor declared.
In addition to the tuition waiver, Bago pledged to build a new housing estate for the university’s staff and lecturers and disclosed that the institution would commence programmes in Medicine and Medical Sciences from the next academic session. He also announced a bursary award of ₦100,000 for each matriculating student, encouraging them to be good ambassadors of their families, the state, and the university.
The Vice Chancellor of AKUM, Prof. Mohammed Aliyu Paiko, lauded the governor’s commitment, describing the tuition gesture as a transformative investment in the future of Niger State’s youth. He urged the 809 students to embrace their matriculation as the beginning of a life-changing academic journey.
Prof. Paiko highlighted the university’s focus on developing students equipped with practical skills, innovation, and entrepreneurial capacity. According to him, AKUM is aligning with the governor’s green economy initiative, which promotes sustainable growth through climate-friendly and technology-driven education.
“Our goal is to produce graduates who will pioneer sustainable agriculture, biotechnology, medical and environmental sciences, ICT, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy — all key to environmental and economic stability,” he said.
Similarly, the Pro-Chancellor of AKUM, Prof. Muhammad Yahaya Kuta, described Governor Bago as a visionary leader investing strategically in the state’s knowledge economy.
“Governor Umaru Bago has not only invested in infrastructure but also in the minds of the younger generation through education. The knowledge industry is ruling the world, and Niger State is taking the right steps,” he stated.
The announcement has drawn widespread commendation from education stakeholders across the state, who hailed the governor’s decision as a major boost for local education and human capital development.
