Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has taken a significant step to make education more accessible for students from low-income backgrounds. He has issued an executive order removing the tax clearance requirement for scholarship applications in the state. This decision aims to ensure that financial aid reaches students who need it the most.
The Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board, Prof. Yahaya Ibrahim, while speaking to journalists in Kaduna on Sunday, noted that the governor’s directive is part of ongoing efforts to improve scholarship access.
To further assist students, Ibrahim explained that while essay writing is still required in the application process, it now serves as a tool to identify students’ specific needs rather than being a strict eligibility criterion.
“The governor has removed the requirement for tax clearance, making it easier for students from poor backgrounds to access scholarships.
“The essay writing requirement remains, but it is now used to assess students’ needs rather than as a condition for eligibility,” he said.
Additionally, the governor has taken steps to simplify the application process by establishing seven Scholarship Awards Zonal Units in rural areas. These centers, located in Zaria, Kafanchan, Kachia, Pambegua, Makarfi, Kaduna North, and Kaduna South, are equipped with 30 computers each. This initiative helps students avoid long travel distances to the Board’s headquarters and reduces overcrowding in the application process.
To further ease access, Ibrahim noted that the Board has introduced on-the-spot scholarship enrolments for indigenous students in tertiary institutions. So far, over 4,330 students have been enlisted as potential beneficiaries, awaiting disbursement.
He also revealed that between May 2023 and now, 3,397 students have been awarded local scholarships, while 30 students have benefited from third-party Tertiary Education Loans.
Governor Sani has also demonstrated his commitment to supporting students with special needs and those pursuing specialized studies. He has introduced government-funded scholarships for students in innovation, aviation, merit-based programs, underprivileged groups, and People with Special Needs (PLWDs).
“The inclusion of government special scholarship intervention programmes for innovation, aviation, merit-based studies, underprivileged groups, and People with Special Needs (PLWDs) is at the heart of His Excellency’s agenda,” Ibrahim said.
Beyond scholarships, the governor has also provided employment opportunities for recent medical and nursing graduates. Ibrahim revealed that six medical students who studied in Cuba, along with 14 nursing graduates from Uganda, have been offered jobs in the Kaduna State civil service.
According to him, the 14 nursing graduates from Uganda “were all automatically employed into the Kaduna State civil service by His Excellency, the Governor of Kaduna State.”
