A Nigerian group based in the United States, Zumunta Association USA Inc., has awarded scholarships worth more than ₦100 million to over 5,000 science students across northern Nigeria.
Founded in 1991 in New York, the association has remained committed to supporting the development of the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Over the years, the group has not only focused on education but has also supported community projects, school upgrades, and health initiatives aimed at improving lives in underserved regions.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the National President of Zumunta Association, Sunday Bitrus, shared details about the group’s growing efforts to expand access to education for young Nigerians.
According to him, the scholarship scheme attracts more than 10,000 applications each year, which shows just how many students are eager to study but lack the means.
“Our flagship Scholarship Programme has transformed the lives of over 5,000 science students in Northern Nigeria, with over ₦100m disbursed since inception. We receive more than 10,000 applications annually, a testament to the scale of need—and a call to action for donors and partners,” he noted.
Bitrus also shared that Zumunta partners with over 30 organisations, including government bodies and international NGOs, to carry out its work in Nigeria.
In 2024, the association joined hands with health institutions to offer care to people in need. Their efforts focused on diseases such as typhoid and malaria and tackled high child mortality rates in rural communities.
The group’s influence goes beyond its development projects. Bitrus noted that many of its members have held or still hold key roles in Nigerian public life, including President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and Minister of Health Mohammed Ali Pate.
He said, “These exemplary figures, among many others who have served in the past and will serve in the future, exemplifies the return and impact of the diaspora in building our nation.”
As the association marks its 35th anniversary, it announced that the 2025 national convention will be held in Nigeria—only the second time this will happen in its long history. Bitrus said the Board of Trustees approved the decision, and the gathering is scheduled to take place from July 14 to 23 in Nasarawa State. The event will also align with Nigeria’s National Diaspora Day and Diaspora Week.
This year’s convention will carry the theme: “From Connection to Action: Mobilizing Local Experience and Diasporan Insights for National Development.” According to the organisers, the aim is to bring together Nigerian professionals abroad and those at home to find solutions for the country’s challenges.
Zumunta Association was created as a neutral, non-political, and non-religious organisation. It was founded under the leadership of Dr. Musa Kallam and has since grown into a major diaspora network, especially among northerners living abroad.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the commission’s secretary, Sule Yakubu Bassi, praised the group for its long-standing contributions to national development.
“Over the past 35 years, they have aggressively given back to the Nigerian economy,” he said. “They have built the first cyber café in Kaduna and introduced ICT up north through that cyber café.”
Bassi noted that although the association’s membership is mainly drawn from the North, its projects benefit communities all over Nigeria. “Though their members are mainly from the 19 northern states of Nigeria, when it comes to projects, they cover the whole federation,” he said.
He also called on other Nigerian diaspora groups to follow Zumunta’s example. “Let me at this particular juncture make a clarion call on behalf of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission that other Nigerian diaspora groups should study and emulate Zumunta USA Incorporated,” he added.
